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CURB,    SNAFFLE,   AND    SPUR. 


THE    GALLOP    ABOUT    A    LANCE. 


Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur, 

A  METHOD   OF   TRAINING   YOUNG   HORSES 
FOR   THE    CAVALRY   SERVICE, 

AND 

FOR  GENERAL  USE  UNDER  THE  SADDLE. 


BY 

EDWARD    L.  ANDERSON, 

AUTHOR    OF     "modern    HORSEMANSHIP." 


Ellustrateti  bg  ^fjirtg-ttoo  ^fjatDgrapljs  from  t\)t  Eife. 


BOSTON: 

LITTLE,    BROWN,    AND     COMPANY. 

EDINBURGH:   DAVID    DOUGLAS. 

1894. 


Copyright,  1894, 
By  Little,  Brown,  &  Company. 


^ntbn-sttg  Press: 
John  Wilson  and  Son,  Cambridge,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE, 


^T^HIS  little  work  has  been  written  especially 
^  with  a  view  of  presenting  a  method  of 
training  horses  for  the  use  of  mounted  soldiers ; 
but  there  is  nothing  herein  recommended  that 
would  not  be  important,  if  not  absolutely  neces- 
sary, for  the  education  of  any  horse  intended  for 
the  saddle. 

How  long  it  would  take  to  carry  a  horse 
through  the  course  I  have  laid  down  would 
depend  upon  the  age,  strength,  and  disposition 
of  each  horse.  The  lessons  might  extend  from 
the  time  the  colt  is  weaned  until  it  is  four  years 
old ;  or  a  strong  three-year-old,  with  two  short 
lessons  daily,  might  be  thoroughly  trained  in 
three  months. 


viii  Preface. 

Five  horses  were  brought  before  the  camera 
for  the  illustration  of  the  book.  Silvana,  now 
many  years  in  service,  was  employed  to  explain 
the  advanced  exercises;  Coquette,  an  English- 
bred  mare,  is  represented  in  the  frontispiece  ;  and 
three  young  horses  which  were  photographed 
from  the  day  the  author  took  them  in  hand. 
These  latter  three  had  been  broken  to  harness, 
and  were  quiet  to  handle,  but  had  received  no 
training  such  as  they  were  then  given,  and  they 
had  all  of  the  awkwardness  and  rigidity  that 
could  be  desired.  I  have  found  that  a  horse 
wholly  undisciplined  is  of  but  little  service  before 
the  camera  when  certain  positions  are  required. 
The  photographs  were  taken  by  Rombach  and 
Groene,  of  Cincinnati,  and  the  half-tone  repro- 
ductions were  made  by  the  Heliotype  Printing 
Company,  of  Boston. 


CONTENTS. 


Part  31. 

IX    THE    SNAFFLE. 
Chapter  Page 

I.    Handling  the  Young  Horse 15 

IL    Riding  the  Young  Horse 24 

III.  Hand  and  Heel.  —  The  Trot,  the  Walk,  Changes 

of  Direction 35 

IV.  Suppling    and     Collecting.  —  The     Union     and 

Balance  of  the   Forces  41 

V.    Reversed  Pirouettes,  Low    Pirouettes,  Bending 

Head  in  Action.  —  Travers   and   Renvers     .     54 

Part  M. 

IN   THE   DOUBLE-REINED    BRIDLE. 

I.    The    Union   and    Balance    of   the   Forces.  —  In 

Hand,  the  Union,  the  Half-halt      ....     69 
II.    Indirect   Indications  of  the  Curb-Bit.  —  In  the 

Double  Bridle .78 

III.  The  Gallop.  — The  Gallop  Changes 84 

IV.  Trot    and    Gallop.  —  Travers   and   Renvers.  — 

Pirouettes  from  Action.  —  Low  Pirouettes. — 
The  Pirouette  Volte 96 


Contents. 


Chapter  Page 

V.    The  Union  without  the  Reins 104 

VI.    The  Halt  from  the  Galop.  —  The  use  of  the 

Spurs 107 

VII.    Backing 112 

VIII.    Jumping .117 

IX.    Vices,  Tricks,  and  Faults 125 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page 

The  Gallop  about  a  Lance Frontispiece 

Rubbing  the  Colt  with  the  Whip ,     .  22 

Elevation  of  Head ,     ,     .  26 

Bending  Head ,     .  29 

Carrying  the  Croup  over  the  Forehand 33 

Elevation  of  the  Head,  mounted 43 

Position  of  the  Head 45 

Dropping  Head 47 

Bending  the  Head,  mounted 49 

Carrying  the  Hind  Legs  under  the  Body      ....  51 

Carrying  the  Hind  Legs  under  the  Body      ....  52 

Reversed  Pirouette    55 

Applying  Whip  to  the  Near  Flank 57 

Low  Pirouette 59 

Travers 61 

Renvers 63 

Ln  Hand,  in  the  Trot 71 

United  Trot 73 

Half-halt  from  the  Trot ^s 

In  Hand,  in  place 76 

Break  into  Gallop  from  Slow  Trot 87 

Gallop  Right 91 

Gallop  Changes.  —  From  Right  to  Left 93 


xii  Illustrations. 


Page 

Pirouette  Volte 99 

Union  without  Reins *  ...  104 

Union  without  Reins.     Gallop 105 

Halt  from  the  Gallop no 

Backing.     The  Impulse 113 

Backing 115 

Leading  over  the  Bar 119 

Jumping  in  Hand 121 

The  First  Leap  of  a  Young  Horse 123 


^art  I. 

IN    THE    SNAFFLE. 


CURB,  SNAFFLE,  AND  SPUR. 


CHAPTER    I. 

HANDLING   THE    YOUNG    HORSE. 

IT  must  be  understood  at  the  outset  that  in  the 
method  of  training  presented  in  the  following 
pages  the  object  of  the  work  described  is  to 
obtain  immediate  and  exact  control  over  the 
horse,  through  a  kindly  enforced  discipline,  in 
which  nothing  is  left  to  the  volition  or  willing 
obedience  of  the  animal.  The  muscular  actions 
which  would  impulsively  follow  the  applications 
of  the  hand  and  heel  are  to  be  cultivated  in  the 
proper  directions,  so  that  the  horse  shall  instinc- 
tively answer  to  the  demands  of  its  rider  under  all 
circumstances.  We  are  not  to  depend  upon  the 
intelligence  or  the  good-will  of  the  animal,  beyond 
acquiring  its  confidence  to  such  an  extent  that 
its  fears  are  not  aroused  by  any  movement  the 
trainer    may    make ;    and  neither  whip  nor  spur 


1 6  Curb^  S^iaffle^  and  Spur. 

should  be  used  in  punishment,  —  the  correction 
of  faults,  whether  voluntary  or  involuntary,  being 
obtained  by  the  control  which  will  follow  the  true 
use  of  the  aids.  The  horse  should  not  be  taught 
to  regard  any  motions,  words,  or  bugle-calls ;  for 
it  might  obey  such  signals  at  inopportune  times. 
The  silent  application  of  the  aids  is  the  proper 
manner  for  the  rider  to  indicate  his  demands,  and 
the  horse  will  be  the  readier  to  obey  if  it  be 
unused  to  preparatory  signals.  The  trainer  must 
soothe  by  kind  tones  the  young  horse  in  its  early 
lessons,  and  he  may  correct  it  by  a  harsh  voice ; 
but  as  soon  as  he  acquires  the  confidence  of  the 
animal,  and  it  begins  to  understand  the  bit  and 
the  spur,  the  man  should  conduct  the  lessons  in 
silence,  and  depend  upon  the  aids  for  enforcing 
his  requirements.  I  know  of  nothing  that  seems 
to  give  such  pleasure  and  such  satisfaction  to 
the  horse  as  a  slight  relaxation  upon  the  ten- 
sion of  the  reins,  and  an  almost  impercep- 
tible touch  of  the  bridle-hand  upon  the  crest, 
when  the  rider  wishes  to  encouraore  or  reward 
his  mount.  The  horse  very  soon  learns  the 
meaning  of  this,  and  how  to  appreciate  it ;  and 
as  long  as  it  does    not   affect    the  speed,  direc- 


Handling  the  Yoimg  Horse.  17 

tion,  or  carriage  of  the  trained  animal,  I  see 
nothing  objectionable  in  it.  This  is  the  method 
followed  by  some  of  the  best  horsemen.  One  of 
these,  a  professional  trainer,  is  so  successful  in 
his  manao^ement  of  vicious  horses,  that  I  have 
frequently  heard  him  say  that  he  did  not  find 
anything  wrong  in  certain  animals  which  were 
turned  over  to  his  care  as  unruly  by  their 
owners. 

The  education  of  the  horse  cannot  be  begun 
too  early.  There  is  no  reason  why  a  yearling 
should  not  be  as  thoroughly  disciplined  as  an 
old-school  horse,  and  the  early  training  will  last 
during  the  life  of  the  animal.  Training  does  not 
injuriously  affect  the  vivacity  or  the  spirit  of  the 
horse ;  on  the  contrary,  a  cold-blooded  drudge 
can  be  made  active  and  mettlesome  by  a  course 
of  schooling.  Witness  Alidor,  the  horse  em- 
ployed to  furnish  the  photographs  for  the  first 
edition  of  "  Modern  Horsemanship,"  a  coarse, 
heavy  colt,  Avhich  was  brought  to  perform  the 
high-school  movements  with  grace  and  precision. 
The  mare  which  was  used  for  most  of  the  illus- 
trations in  the  present  work,  better  bred  than 
Alidor,   is    an    example  of   the  fact  that  a  long 


1 8  Ctirb^  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

course  of  training  is  beneficial ;  for  at  fifteen 
years  she  is  full  of  life,  mettle,  and  action,  al- 
though a  child  might  ride  her.  I  wish  to  say 
here  that  there  is  one  class  of  horses  that  it  is 
useless  to  attempt  to  train  or  to  use.  These  are 
such  that  from  deficiency  in  cranial  development, 
or  from  some  lesion  or  injury  to  the  brain,  are 
subject  to  fits  of  terror  and  wild  excitement ;  for 
although  even  these  may  be  taught  to  obey  the 
aids,  their  attacks  are  frequently  so  sudden  that 
the  rider  is  in  peril  before  he  can  attempt  to 
obtain  control.  The  outward  conformation  some- 
times marks  these  animals,  even  to  the  inexperi- 
enced, and  I  have  never  known  the  small,  pro- 
tuberant eye  (known  as  the  buck's  eye)  fail  to 
give  true  warning  that  its  possessor  is  a  danger- 
ous and  useless  fool. 

With  the  young  horse  brought  to  the  trainer 
already  disciplined  from  its  early  days,  or  with  the 
three-year-old  simply  halter-broken,  we  should 
proceed  in  the  same  manner,  although  in  the 
first  instance  the  preliminary  lessons  would  be 
far  shorter,  and  rather  as  a  test  to  see  how  far 
the  discipline  had  been  carried.  The  cavesson 
(a   leather  head-collar  with  a  jointed  metal  nose- 


Handling  the   Young  Horse.  19 

band,  having  a  ring  at  either  side  and  one  in 
front)  will  be  placed  upon  the  horse,  a  strong 
line,  at  least  fifteen  feet  long,  being  attached  to 
the  metal  nose-band  ring.  The  animal  should 
be  led  to  some  retired  place,  where  there  is 
sufficient  ground  upon  which  to  conduct  the 
exercises.  A  covered  school  is  preferable  for 
the  whole  work  of  training,  as  the  man  can  then 
have  the  attention  of  the  horse ;  but  wherever 
the  work  is  carried  on,  there  should  be  such 
quiet  as  can  be  had.  It  is  true  that  a  school- 
broken  horse  must  be  made  acquainted  with 
many  strange  and  new  sights  when  it  is  first 
taken  out;  but  every  young  horse  has  to  go 
through  such  experiences,  and  it  is  much  easier 
to  control  the  disciplined  horse  under  these 
circumstances  than  the  raw  colt,  which  has  not 
been  taught  to  obey  hand  and  heel.  The  man 
should  be  perfectly  composed,  and  he  should 
avoid  doing  anything  that  will  arouse  the  fears 
of  the  horse.  He  should  lead  the  colt  in  a 
circle  of  about  thirty  feet  in  diameter,  first  to 
one  hand  and  then  to  the  other,  walking  at 
its  shoulder,  and  holding  the  line  at  about 
eighteen    inches    from     the    nose-ring.     If     the 


20  Ctirb,  Snaffle,  a7id  Spur. 

colt  refuses  to  lead,  as  it  probably  will,  the  man 
must  wait  upon  it.  If  he  tries  to  force  it  to 
lead,  the  frightened  animal  will  sulk,  and  all 
acknowledged  resistances  are  to  be  avoided. 
It  is  likely  that  in  a  very  short  time  it  will 
become  irksome  to  the  colt  to  remain  still,  and 
at  its  first  motion  the  trainer  should  let  it  move 
off,  and  encourage  it  as  though  the  whole  inci- 
dent had  been  in  accordance  with  his  desires. 
The  trainer  should,  from  time  to  time,  stop  the 
colt,  and  then  make  it  resume  its  round.  The 
trainer's  aim  from  this  time  forth  should  be, 
that  the  colt  shall  not  volunteer  a  movement; 
or  should  it  become  necessary  for  him  to  take 
advantage  of  a  voluntary  movement  after  a 
refusal,  the  animal  should  be  led  to  believe 
that  it  has  really  obeyed  the  man.  During  the 
circles,  at  the  walk  and  at  the  halts,  the  man 
should  handle  the  colt,  as  far  as  he  can,  without 
arousing  its  fears,  —  picking  up  its  feet,  patting 
it  on  various  parts  of  its  body,  and  rubbing  the 
poll,  never  of  course  letting  go  of  the  line. 
The  trainer  will  gradually  lengthen  his  hold  on 
the  line,  depending  upon  the  behavior  of  the 
colt,    until    he    has    the    animal    walking    about 


Handling  the   Young  Horse.  2 1 

him  at  its  full  length.  He  will  bring  the  colt 
to  a  halt  by  gently  waving  the  line  horizontally, 
and  he  should  then  go  quietly  up  to  the  animal 
and  make  much  of  it.  The  colt  must  not  be 
allowed  to  come  in  to  the  man,  but  should,  as 
far  as  possible,  be  made  to  stop  and  stand  in 
the  path  of  the  circle.  If  the  colt  moves  off 
without  permission,  the  man  should  bring  it  to 
a  halt,  and  then  demand  that  it  move,  so  that, 
from  the  earliest  lessons,  it  will  learn  to  look 
to  the  man  for  orders.  These  lessons  will 
interest  and  exercise  the  horse,  and  may  be 
conducted  as  long  as  the  trainer  sees  fit,  provided 
he  does  not  fatisfue  the  animal.  When  the  colt 
will  walk  about  the  man  quietly,  and  come  to 
a  halt  as  he  requires  it,  the  trainer  may  put  it 
into  a  slow  trot,  usins^  Qrreat  care  not  to  excite 
the  colt  or  to  permit  it  to  go  too  rapidly.  He 
should  then  teach  it  to  come  to  a  halt  and 
turn  about  for  a  chano;e  of  direction.  Durinor 
the  longeing  lessons  the  trainer  should  teach 
the  horse  to  bear  the  whip,  which  should  never 
be  applied  with  any  severity,  a  simple  tap  being 
all  that  should  be  given,  and  this  touch  will 
answer    every    requirement.     The    horse    having 


22 


Ctirb,  Snajfle,  and  Spur. 


been  taught  to  enjoy  caresses,  the  rider  should 
frequently  pat  and  handle  the  animal  while 
holding  the  short  whip  in  his  hand.  Gradually 
he  should  habituate  the  horse  to  bear  the  whip 


RUBBING    THE    COLT    WITH    THE    WHIP. 

as  it  is  passed  over  various  parts  of  the  legs 
and  body,  and  finally  to  move  forward  at  a 
slight  tap  delivered  upon  the  rump.  The  horse 
must  not  f]inch  at  the  motion  or  at  the  touch 
of  the  whip.     A  long  whip  should  then  be  sub- 


Handling  the   Yottng  Horse.  23 

stituted  for  the  riding-rod,  and  the  trainer 
should  use  it  with  great  discretion  in  stimulating 
the  horse,  by  light  touches  given  against  the 
sides,  or  by  striking  the  ground  in  rear  of  the 
animal,  to  increased  speed  and  action  on  the 
longeing  circles,  it  of  course  being  understood 
that  the  rate  of  speed  on  the  longeing  circles 
should  always  be  moderate.  Should  the  horse 
be  too  eager  or  too  much  excited  to  obey  the 
horizontal  waves  of  the  longe-line  when  the 
trainer  wishes  to  reduce  the  speed  or  to  demand 
a  halt,  a  series  of  motions  of  the  line  up  and 
down,  with  a  strong  pull  on  the  line  as  it 
comes  down,  will  have  the  greatest  effect  upon 
the  cavesson ;  but  this  severe  use  of  the  longe- 
line  is  to  be  avoided.  The  exercises  upon  the 
longe  will  be  continued  until  the  horse  is  given 
sufficient  work  under  the  saddle ;  and  during 
these,  the  trainer  cannot  use  too  much  caution 
in  securing  the  horse  from  fright  or  excitement. 


CHAPTER    II. 

RIDING    THE    YOUNG    HORSE. 

A  CERTAIN  amount  of  discipline  having 
been  established  while  upon  the  cavesson, 
and  the  young  horse  having  found  that  there 
is  nothing  to  dread  in  the  approach  or  in  the 
touch  of  its  master,  we  arrive  at  the  most  impor- 
tant, and  not  the  least  difficult,  part  of  the 
education  of  the  animal.  The  manner  in  which 
the  colt  is  tauQ-ht  to  bear  its  rider  will  have 
a  very  marked  influence  upon  its  future  useful- 
ness ;  but  any  man  of  ordinary  intelligence 
should  be  able  to  make  the  colt  quiet  to  ride, 
if  he  be  patient  and  firm.  The  horse  should 
be  saddled  with  care,  the  births  beinsf  but 
moderately  tight,  and  the  stirrups  arranged  so 
that  they  shall  not  touch  the  sides  of  the  horse. 
The  horse  must  now  be  taus^ht  somethino;  of 
the  effects  of  the  bit.  I  find  that  this,  and  some 
other  matters  connected  with  the  general  prog- 


Ridi7ig  the   Young  Horse.  25 


ress  of  the  training,  can  be  accomplished  very 
readily  by  the  trainer  driving  the  horse  before 
him  for  a  few  times,  a  pair  of  light  long  lines 
being  run  through  the  loops  on  the  surcingle 
to  an  easy  snaffle-bit.  The  horse  should  be 
driven  in  circles  and  upon  straight  lines,  being 
frequently  brought  to  a  halt  and  then  started 
forward,  the  trainer  using  as  little  force  on 
the  bit  as  is  possible,  and  employing  a  long 
straight  whip  with  caution.  If  at  any  time  the 
animal  kicks  or  rushes  forward,  it  should  be 
corrected  by  a  sharp  pull  upon  the  reins.  I 
have  seen  horses  made  confirmed  kickers  by 
the  application  of  the  whip  as  a  corrective 
measure,  and  by  the  use  of  whip  blows  the 
horse  may  be  taught  to  kick  when  it  is  even 
threatened.  The  horse  that  kicks  must  be 
corrected  by  having  its  head  thrown  up ;  and 
any  horse  can  be  taught  to  bear  the  whip,  prop- 
erly used,  by  gradual  lessons,  without  flinching 
or  resentment.  During  the  halts  in  these  lessons, 
the  trainer  should  from  time  to  time  loosen  and 
tischten  the  sfirths  to  accustom  the  horse  to  such 
handling,  and  he  should  occasionally  bear  some 
weight    with    his   arms    upon    the    saddle.      The 


26 


Curb,  Siiaffle,  aiid  Spur. 


trainer  should  induce  the  horse  to  submit  to 
be  driven  with  the  stirrups  let  out  to  the  full 
length  of  the  leathers,  and  dangling  against  the 
sides,   and    to    bear    the   flapping   of   cloths   over 


ELEVATION    OF    HEAD. 


any  part  of  its  body  or  legs.  I  may  say  here 
that  it  is  difficult  to  give  these  lessons  when  the 
horse  is  annoyed  by  flies  or  other  insects,  as 
the  animal  is  apt  to  kick  at  the  application  of 
whip   or  heel   under  such   circumstances. 


Riding  the   Young  Horse.  27 

In  mountins:  the  colt  for  the  first  time  the 
trainer  should  select  an  occasion  when,  after  some 
gentle  exercise,  the  animal  is  composed  and  con- 
fident. He  should  see  that  the  snaffle-bridle 
is  in  good  order,  that  it  fits  the  head  and  mouth 
without  discomfort,  and  that  the  saddle  is  properly 
and  strongly  girthed.  If  he  has  reason  to  believe 
that  the  horse  will  make  violent  resistances,  he 
can  insure  his  seat  by  having  a  rolled  blanket 
strapped  to  the  pommel  of  the  saddle ;  but  it  is  an 
exceptional  horse  that  will  give  trouble,  if  its  edu- 
cation has  been  conducted  on  the  lines  recom- 
mended. In  riding  a  young  or  difficult  horse  for 
the  first  time,  I  prefer  to  have  a  leg  up  from  an 
assistant ;  for  in  that  way  the  rider  can  quietly 
obtain  his  seat  before  the  animal  can  prevent,  and 
this  is  a  moral  victory  which  the  colt  will  under- 
stand. Should  the  trainer  elect  to  mount  in  the 
usual  way,  he  must  take  care  that  he  does  not 
irritate  the  horse  by  a  thrust  of  the  left  toe,  and 
that  he  does  not  strike  the  rump  as  he  carries  the 
right  leg  over.  Once  in  the  saddle,  he  should  let 
the  colt  walk  off  as  quietly  as  it  will,  the  reins 
just  taking  a  bearing  upon  the  animal's  mouth, 
and  his  heels  away  from  its  flanks.      In  this  first 


2S  C7irb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

lesson  the  man  should  do  very  little  beyond 
letting  the  colt  go  quietly  forward  in  a  walk. 
Unless  something  frightens  the  animal,  it  is  not 
probable  that  it  will  show  any  misconduct.  If, 
after  a  few  minutes,  all  goes  well,  the  rider  should 
quietly  dismount,  and  resume  the  exercises  upon 
the  longe-line.  Upon  the  second  time  of  mount- 
ing, the  same  precaution  should  be  taken  ;  and  on 
each  succeedino:  day  the  time  durino;  which  the 
man  is  on  the  colt's  back  may  be  gradually 
extended,  depending  upon  its  strength  and  con- 
duct. Perhaps  on  the  fourth  or  fifth  time  that  it 
is  mounted,  the  novelty  of  the  situation  having 
worn  off,  the  colt  may  take  notice  of  surrounding 
things,  and  if  an  excuse  may  be  found  in  a  bark- 
ing dog,  a  flying  bird,  or  some  such  matter,  it 
may  pretend  to  be  frightened,  and  give  a  few 
plunges.  If  the  rider  will  gently  keep  up  its  head, 
and  let  it  go  forward  in  any  slow  pace  or  action 
it  will  take,  the  colt  will  be  convinced  that  it  has 
gained  nothing  by  its  efforts,  and  will  not  be 
likely  to  repeat  its  misconduct  except  under  some 
provocation.  Gradually  the  trainer  will  take 
more  command  over  the  movements  of  the  horse, 
turnino-  it  to  the  rio-ht  or  the  left,  brinofinor  it  to  a 


Ridino^  the   Youuq;  Horse. 


29 


halt  and  resuming  the  forward  movement,  put- 
ting it  into  a  trot  and  bringing  it  back  to  a  walk, 
accustoming  it  to  the  pressure  of  the  legs  against 
the  flanks  and  even  to  light  whip-taps  behind  the 


BENDING    HEAD. 


girths  to  incite  it  to  action.  The  hand  should  be 
ready  but  light,  and  the  colt's  head  should  be 
held  well  up.  Plunging  and  bucking  are  the 
only  disorders  w^iich  are  not  due  to  the  trainer's 
mismanaofement,  and   these   are  the    natural    de- 


30  Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Sp 


iir. 


fences  of  the  horse.  The  former  is  a  coltish 
prank,  which  may  become  a  fixed  vice  by  bad 
handhng ;  the  latter  is  seldom  found  in  horses  of 
domestic  breeds,  and  is  perhaps  due  as  much  to 
tight  girthing  and  rough  "  breaking  "  as  to  the 
instinctive  resistances  of  the  half-wild  animals  in 
which  the  vice  is  commonly  found. 

The  precautions  which  I  have  so  strongly  in- 
sisted upon  may  seem  to  some  readers  to  be  greater 
than  the  matter  requires  ;  but  if  the  best  results  are 
to  be  obtained,  a  trainer  cannot  observe  too  much 
care  in  the  treatment  of  the  colt  in  these  early 
lessons.  The  critical  period  of  the  colt's  educa- 
tion having  been  passed,  and  the  animal  having 
been  brought  to  carry  its  rider  quietly,  we  must 
extend  the  discipline,  which  up  to  this  time  has 
been  as  Httle  irksome  as    possible. 

A  most  important  thing  is  to  teach  the  horse 
to  go  into  the  bridle.  Nearly  every  vice  and 
resistance  offered  by  a  horse  is  preceded  and 
made  possible  by  the  animal  getting  behind  the 
hand ;  that  is,  it  refuses  to  face  the  bit,  so  that  the 
rider's  hand  can  find  nothing  by  wliich  he  can 
enforce  his  demands.  The  horse  is  taught  to  go 
into  the  bridle  by  gently  pushing  it  forward  in  a 


Ridino^  the   Youns^  Horse. 


slow  trot  ao-ainst  a  li2:ht  but  constant  tension  of 
the  reins.  In  tinie,  by  proceedings  which  we 
shall  afterwards  describe,  the  mouth  of  the  horse 
may  be  made  so  elastic  and  light  that  it  will 
answer  to  the  gentlest  drawing  of  the  rein,  always 
giving  something  upon  which  to  act,  but  without 
rigidity  or  opposition.  At  first  I  do  not  hesitate 
to  give  my  young  horses  mouths  rather  too  hard 
than  too  soft,  and  I  make  them  hold  the  head 
rather  higher  than  is  necessary  for  the  union  and 
balance  of  the  extremities.  This  confirms  them 
in  facing  the  bit,  and  insures  against  the  usual 
habit  of  too  low  a  carriage  of  the  head.  Any 
condition  of  the  mouth  may  be  given  the  horse  :  a 
hard  hand  makes  a  hard  mouth,  a  light  hand  a 
liofht  mouth,  and  a  nerveless  hand  lets  the  horse 
get  behind  the  bit,  and  gives  no  mouth.  During 
these  lessons  the  trainer,  before  mounting,  and 
after  dismounting,  should  make  the  horse  elevate 
its  head,  and  bend  its  head  and  neck  to  the  right 
and  to  the  left,  as  such  exercises  will  aid  in  the 
suppling  lessons  of  the  mounted  horse.  To 
elevate  the  head  of  the  horse,  the  trainer  will 
stand  in  front  of  the  animal,  and  taking  a  ring  of 
the  bit  in  each  hand,  he  will,  without  unnecessary 


32  Cjtrb,  Snaffle,  arid  Spu7\ 

force,  extend  his  arms  upward  until  the  neck  and 
head  of  the  horse  are  raised  as  high  as  he  can 
reach.  He  should  then  gently  lower  his  arms 
until  the  head  of  the  horse  comes  to  a  natural 
position,  placing  its  face  about  vertically  to  the 
ground,  and  inducing  it  to  yield  the  lower  jaw  by 
gentle  plays  upon  the  bit.  To  bend  the  head  to 
the  left  he  will  stand  on  the  off-side,  a  little  in 
advance  of  the  shoulder,  taking  the  left  rein  in  his 
left  hand  and  the  risrht  rein  in  his  riorht  hand  near 
the  rings  on  the  bit,  and  he  will  gently  turn  the 
bit  in  the  mouth  of  the  horse  so  that  the  head  is 
w^ell  turned  to  the  left,  the  face  placed  about  ver- 
tically to  the  ground  by  the  tension  upon  both 
reins,  the  jaw  and  neck  of  the  horse  being  kept 
free  of  rigidity  by  the  gentle  manner  in  which  the 
bit  is  used.  In  a  similar  way  the  head  of  the 
horse  should  be  turned  to  the  right,  the  man 
standing  on  the  near  side  in  front  of  the  shoulder. 
These  exercises  give  control  over  the  positions  of 
the  head  of  the  horse,  and  make  the  neck  and 
jaw  supple,  so  that  the  animal  becomes  light  and 
yielding  to  the  reins  when  it  is  mounted ;  and  in 
conductino:  the  bendino;  lessons,  the  trainer  should 
take  care  that  the  head  of  the  horse  is  held  as 


Riding  the  Young  Horse, 


IZ 


high  as  it  should  be  carried  when  the  horse  is 
straight,  and  in  motion  under  the  rider.  The 
young  horse  must  have  sufficient  exercise,  or  the 
trainer  will    not  be  able  to   direct  and  keep  its 


CARRYING  THE  CROUP  ABOUT  THE  FOREHAND. 

attention.  Many  of  the  disorderly  movements, 
which  may  become  vices,  are  due  to  the  hysterical 
condition  of  the  horse.  Horses  too  fresh,  and 
even  old  trained  horses,  are  difficult  to  control 
when  nervous  from  want  of  work. 

3 


34  C^irb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

While  the  other  exercises  on  foot  are  beino: 
employed,  the  preliminary  lesson  for  carrying  the 
croup  about  the  forehand  may  be  given.  The 
trainer,  standing  at  the  shoulder  of  the  horse,  on 
the  near  side,  and  holding  the  reins  under  the 
chin  of  the  horse  in  his  left  hand,  should  o^ive  a 
slight  tap  of  the  whip  upon  the  left  side,  near  the 
girths,  so  that  the  horse  will  take  one  step  to  the 
right  with  the  hind  legs,  the  forehand  being  held 
in  place.-  This  will  throw  the  right  fore  leg  a 
little  in  rear  of  its  proper  place  for  the  new  posi- 
tion, and  it  will  be  brought  up  by  a  tap  of  the 
whip.  Then  another  step  will  be  demanded  from 
the  croup,  and  the  right  fore  leg  be  again  brought 
up  to  its  place.  In  this  way,  step  by  step,  the 
croup  will  be  made  to  go  about  the  forehand,  the 
left  fore  leg  acting  as  a  fixed  pivot,  no  step  being 
permitted  that  is  not  demanded.  In  the  same 
manner,  the  croup  will  be  carried  to  the  left,  about 
the  right  fore  leg  as  a  pivot,  the  trainer  standing 
at  the  shoulder  on  the  off-side,  and  holding  the 
reins  under  the  animal's  chin  in  his  right  hand, 
while,  with  the  whip  in  his  left  hand,  he  delivers 
the  taps  upon  the  right  flank  of  the  horse. 


CHAPTER    III. 

HAND    AND    HEEL. —THE  TROT,  THE  WALK,  CHANGES 
OF    DIRECTION. 

THE  horse  having  been  taught  to  go  forward 
freely  against  a  constant  light  tension  upon 
the  reins,  it  is  proper  to  employ  lessons  which 
will  confirm  its  obedience  to  the  combined  effects 
of  hands  and  heels,  to  demand  even  and  regular 
paces,  and  to  increase  the  discipline  by  which  we 
are  to  deprive  the  horse  of  volition.  A  brisk, 
slow  trot  is  the  best  pace  in  which  to  produce 
these  effects ;  for  until  the  horse  is  brought  to 
answer  every  application  of  the  hands  and  heels, 
we  must  have  the  impulse  of  a  forward  move- 
ment, upon  which  the  hand  may  act.  A  very 
important  rule  should  be  observed  in  riding ; 
that  is,  the  pressure  of  the  rider's  legs,  or  of  his 
heels,  must  always  precede  any  action  of  the  hand. 
I  do  not  now  speak  of  the  spur,  for  that  should 
not  be  used  until  the  education  of  the  animal 
is  more  advanced  ;  and  I   may  say  here  that  the 


^6  Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur, 

occasions  when  the  sharp  rowel  may  be  applied 
to  the  well-trained  horse  are  very  rare,  as  the 
sensitive  animal  will  readily  answer  the  side  of 
the  heel  or  the  pressure  of  the  calf  of  the  leg.  If 
the  young  horse  does  not  answer  to  the  heel,  the 
demand  may  be  enforced  by  a  light  whip-tap 
delivered  behind  the  girths.  The  snaffle  should 
still  be  the  bit  employed,  for  while  it  is  only  the 
exceptional  horseman  who  can  get  the  best  effects 
in  uniting  the  horse  from  this  simple  mouthpiece, 
it  is  less  harassing  to  the  young  horse  than  the 
curb-bit,  and  there  is  still  much  work  that  can  be 
accomplished  with  it.  The  aim  of  the  rider  in 
the  remainino:  lessons  in  the  snaffle  should  be  to 
teach  the  horse,  while  it  maintains  a  good  bear- 
ing, to  move  in  free,  even,  and  regular  paces,  and 
to  make  the  changes  of  direction  smoothly  and 
correctly.  The  rider's  heels  will  bring  up  im- 
pulses which  will  be  directed  and  controlled  by 
the  hand.  If  the  mouth  has  been  made  a  trifle 
rigid  in  teaching  the  horse  to  face  the  bit,  it  may 
now  be  softened  by  using  gentle  tensions  upon 
the  reins,  and  by  bringing  the  hind  legs  of  the 
animal  under  the  mass  by  the  application  of  the 
rider's  heels.     Upon  mounting,  the  rider  will  draw 


Hand  and  Heel,  37 

the  reins  until  they  take  a  feeling  upon  the  mouth 
of  the  horse.  The  rider's  legs  will  then  be  closed 
against  the  flanks,  and  the  hand  will  make  gentle 
vibrations  of  the  reins  until  the  head  of  the  horse 
is  sustained  without  support,  and  the  mouth  gives 
elastic  response  to  the  hand.  The  rider  will  then 
know  by  the  movement  of  the  muscles  under  him 
that  the  impulses  are  ready,  and  if  the  hand  gives 
sufficient  liberty,  the  horse  will  move  off  in  a 
walk,  the  rider's  legs  demanding  impulse,  and  the 
hand  receiving  and  directing  this  impulse.  In 
the  early  lessons,  the  rider  should  not  require  too 
close  a  collection  in  any  pace,  but  the  forehand 
must  not  be  allowed  to  get  heavy,  nor  the  hind 
quarters  be  permitted  to  drag.  A  slightly  in- 
creased pressure  of  the  rider's  heels,  enforced  by 
a  whip-tap  if  necessary,  will  increase  the  impulse, 
which  will  be  so  directed  by  the  hand  that  the 
horse  shall  quicken  its  action  into  the  trot.  The 
speed  should  not  be  very  great,  but  the  movement 
should  be  clean  and  strong,  the  best  possible  action 
in  which  to  cultivate  the  use  of  the  aids  and  to 
practice  the  union  of  the  extremities.  In  this 
strong  but  slow  trot  the  rider  should  maintain  a 
regular  rate  of  speed,  demanding  such  collection 


Ciirb,  Snajflc,  and  Spur, 


as  he  can  without  harassing  the  horse,  but  always 
having  in  view  a  clear  and  even  pace.  To  turn 
to  the  right,  the  rider  will  increase  the  pressure 
of  his  legs  upon  the  flanks,  the  left  leg  a  little 
more  strongly  than  the  right,  and  draw  the  right 
rein  sufficiently,  while  the  left  measures  its  effect, 
so  that  the  body  of  the  horse  will  keep  true  to  the 
line  of  the  change  of  direction.  When  the  change 
has  been  effected,  the  reins  will  take  an  even 
bearing  upon  the  mouth,  and  the  same  state  of 
collection  will  be  observed  as  that  held  before  the 
chang^e.  The  chanQ;e  of  direction  to  the  left  will 
be  made  in  exactly  the  same  manner,  the  right 
and  left  aids  being  interchanged.  To  bring  the 
horse  to  a  walk,  the  rider's  legs  should  first  close 
against  the  animal's  flanks,  and  the  tension  upon 
the  reins  be  increased  until  the  horse  reduces  the 
speed  to  a  walk,  when  the  hand  wall  permit  it 
liberty  to  advance  in  that  pace,  while  the  rider  s 
legs  maintain  sufficient  impulse  to  insure  it  being 
clear  and  even.  The  changes  of  direction  will 
be  made  as  in  the  trot.  To  bring  the  horse  to  a 
halt,  the  rider's  legs  will  first  close  against  the 
sides  of  the  horse,  and  the  hand  will  increase  the 
tension   of  the   reins  until  the  horse  stops,  w^hen 


Hand  and  HeeL  39 

first  the  hand,  and  then  the  rider's  legs,  will  cease 
to  act.  In  increasing  or  decreasing  the  speed, 
the  rider's  legs  will  always  act  before  the  hand, 
so  that  by  insuring  impulses  from  the  croup,  the 
hand  shall  always  have  somethino^  with  which  it 
may  deal.  In  the  walk  and  in  the  trot,  the  horse 
should  be  ridden  in  straio-ht  lines,  in  chancres  of 
direction  upon  circumferences  of  various  diam- 
eters, and  in  figures  of  eight ;  and  for  a  few  min- 
utes each  day  the  animal  should  be  put  into  a 
good  brisk  trot,  as  rapid  as  proves  consistent  with 
cadenced  action  ;  that  is,  the  impulses  from  the 
croup  must  not  be  so  great  as  to  throw  the  weight 
upon  the  forehand,  nor  must  the  forehand  be 
so  elevated,  or  its  forces  so  carried  back,  as  to 
impede  the  hind  quarters.  Whenever  fresh  im- 
pulses are  demanded  from  the  croup,  the  hand 
must  receive  them  and  measure  their  effects ;  so 
in  taking  the  walk  from  a  halt,  or  the  trot  from 
the  walk,  the  hand  first  relaxes  the  tension  until 
the  impulse  is  received,  and  then  meets  the  im- 
pulse. In  reducing  the  speed,  and  in  coming  to 
a  halt,  the  rider's  heels  close  against  the  sides, 
and  the  hand  increases  the  tension  upon  the 
mouth,  until  the  desired  result  is  obtained,  and 


40  Curb^  Snaffle^  and  Sp 


iw 


the  hand  ceases  to  act  before  the  heels  are  with- 
drawn from  the  sides,  so  that  the  speed  is  not 
decreased  or  the  halt  effected  too  suddenly,  or 
followed  by  an  undesired  movement  backwards. 
During  all  of  these  lessons,  the  rider  should,  by 
using  gentle  vibrations  and  light  tensions  upon 
the  reins,  make  the  mouth  of  the  horse  sensitive 
and  light,  his  heels  carrying  the  hind  legs  well 
under  the  mass,  so  that  the  horse  may  have  no 
reason  to  hang  upon  the  hand.  The  horse  should 
also  be  made  to  stand  quietly  under  its  rider,  and 
permit  him  to  make  movements  and  changes  of 
position  while  it  is  at  a  halt. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

SUPPLING    AND    COLLECTING. THE    UNION    AND 

BALANCE    OF    THE    FORCES. 

THE  resistances  of  the  horse  depend  upon  the 
rigidity  of  the  muscles  of  the  head,  neck 
and  back,  whether  intentional  or  due  to  confor- 
mation. When,  by  cultivating  the  instinctive 
actions  that  follow  the  application  of  the  bit  and 
spur,  we  have  brought  the  horse  to  obey  every 
application  of  the  aids,  we  can  overcome  the  faults 
due  to  the  natural  conformation  by  giving  an 
artificial  carriage  suited  to  the  circumstances,  and 
we  can  depend  upon  the  animal  yielding  its  will 
to  the  demands  of  the  rider.  For  example,  the 
first  impulse  of  the  horse  upon  the  touch  of  the 
bit  is  to  yield  the  jaw ;  the  second  impulse  is  to 
avoid  the  restraint  and  to  pull  against  the  bit 
We  can  cultivate  the  first  impulse  until  the  horse 
instinctively  answers  the  slightest  touch  of  the 
bit,  or  we  can  make  the  mouth  hard  and  rigid. 
The  first  impulse  at  the  touch  of  the  spur  is  to 


C2i7^b,  Snaffle,  and  Spzir. 


carry  forward  the  hind  leg  of  the  side  upon  which 
it  is  appHed,  and  to  bend  away  the  croup ;  the 
second  impulse  would  be  to  spring  forward  from 
the  planted  hind  leg.  We  can  cultivate  these 
impulses  so  that  we  can  control  the  forces  of  the 
croup,  and  we  can  demand  either  one  or  both  of 
the  impulses.  By  this  cultivation  of  these  in- 
stinctive muscular  actions  which  follow  the  appli- 
cation of  the  aids,  we  can  readily  conquer  the 
active  resistances  of  the  horse,  and  we  can  correct 
the  faults  of  conformation  and  carriage  to  give  it 
the  bearing  best  suited  to  controlled  movements 
under  its  burthen.  A  horse  at  liberty  might 
move  with  perfect  ease  and  grace;  but  when  it 
bears  the  weight  of  a  man,  and  its  movements  are 
checked  and  impeded  by  bit  and  spur,  it  would  be 
awkward  and  constrained  in  its  carriage  if  the 
rider  did  not  arrange  the  weights  and  forces  to 
conform  to  the  new  order  of  affairs.  The  well- 
formed  horse  requires  less  aid  from  the  trainer 
than  the  horse  of  defective  structure,  but  all 
horses  must  submit  to  an  artificial  carriaore  before 
they  can  bear  a  man  safely  and  smoothly.  It  is 
not  every  saddle  horse  that  is  trained  according 
to  an  accepted  "  method  ;"  but  whether  the  trainer 


Suppling  and  Collecting, 


43 


knew  the  fact  or  not,  something  of  a  method  was 
employed  before  the  horse  was  safe  or  easy  to 
ride,  and  it  is  possible  that  the  horse  in  self- 
defence   sometimes    picks    up    a   proper   bearing 


ELEVATION    OF    THE    HEAD,    MOUNTED. 

without  the  rider  being  aware  of  it.  Any  man 
who  has  "  broken  "  a  colt  must  have  seen  how 
awkward  and  rough-paced  was  the  animal  at  first, 
and  how  gradually  it  acquired  a  smoother  and 
better  balanced  mode  of  moving.     The  object  of 


44  Curb,  S7iaffle,  and  Spur. 

a  systematized  method  is  to  hasten  and  perfect 
this  change  from  an  awkward  and  unwilHng  yield- 
ing to  a  quick,  even,  and  ready  obedience. 

The  hand  can  elevate  or  depress  the  forehand 
of  the  horse.  The  heels  can  bring  forward  the 
forces  of  the  croup  to  their  highest  powers,  or 
even  beyond  that  point,  w^here  they  w^ill  be  domi- 
nated by  the  raised  forces  of  the  forehand.  Be- 
tween hand  and  heel  the  rider  can  place  the 
weights  and  forces  of  the  extremities  where  he 
wishes.  For  smooth,  even,  and  regular  paces  he 
will  bring  the  weights  and  forces  into  a  point  so 
near  that  of  union  and  balance  that  those  of  the 
hind  quarters  will  have  such  predominance  as 
will  permit  the  mass  to  go  forward  at  the  desired 
rate  and  pace.  A  halt  will  be  the  result  of  an 
equilibrium  of  the  forces  of  the  extremities.  A 
retrograde  movement  will  be  where  the  forehand 
predominates  sufficiently  to  let  the  mass  move  to 
the  rear.  In  the  same  way,  either  extremity  may 
be  fixed  to  a  spot,  and  any  movement  would  be 
some  form  of  pirouette,  or  a  raising  of  the  other 
extremity. 

To  bring  about  this  union  and  balance  of  the 
forces,  the  trainer  must  not  only  obtain   control 


Suppling  and  Collecting* 


45 


over  the  forces  and  weights  of  the  extremities  of 
the  forehand  and  of  the  hind  quarters,  but  he 
must  know  how  to  correct  the  natural  defects  of 
the  animal,  so  that  he  can  readily  produce  what 


POSITION    OF    THE    HEAD. 


he  desires.  He  must  reduce  the  effects  of  the 
stronger  parts,  and  he  must  strengthen  the 
powers  of  the  weaker  parts.  If  the  horse  be  high 
and  well  developed  in  the  forehand,  and  weak  and 
deficient  in  the  hind  quarters,  it  will  be  necessary 


46  Curb^  Snaffle^  and  Sptir. 

to  have  the  head  carried  low  enough  to  permit 
the  forces  of  the  croup  to  be  brought  up  to  a 
point  of  balance  between  them  and  the  forces  of 
the  forehand,  or  the  forehand  will  dominate  the 
croup,  or  the  forces  of  the  croup  will  be  languid, 
and  there  will  be  no  unison  of  action.  If  the 
hind  quarters  be  strong  and  high,  and  the  fore- 
hand low  and  heavy,  or  weak,  the  head  of  the 
horse  must  be  elevated  sufficiently  to  carry  back 
the  forces  of  the  forehand,  and  the  hind  legs  must 
be  brought  under  the  mass  to  lower  the  croup  so 
that  the  forces  of  the  extremities  may  be  in  bal- 
ance ;  otherwise  the  croup  will  overpower  the 
forehand,  and  the  action  of  the  latter  will  be  dull 
and  cramped. 

The  form  of  the  animal  will  suggest  to  the 
trainer  the  exercises  best  suited  to  it ;  and  when 
the  rider  mounts  the  horse,  he  should  soon  dis- 
cover what  is  necessary  to  bring  the  forces  into 
the  so-called  equilibrium.  If  the  horse  hangs 
upon  the  hand,  and  is  heavy  in  front,  the  head 
should  be  elevated,  and  the  forces  of  the  forehand 
be  carried  back,  while  the  heels  bring  under  the 
mass  the  forces  of  tb.e  croup.  If  the  action  of 
the  hind  quarters  is  languid,  the  forehand  should 


Suppli7ig  and  Collecting, 


M 


be  lowered,  and  the  forces  of  the  croup  should  be 
stimulated  and  brought  up  to  the  proper  point. 

When  the  face  of  the  horse  is  vertical,  the  jaw 
pliant,  the  spine  devoid  of  rigidity,  and  the  horse 


DROPPING    HEAD. 


seems  to  grow  under  the  rider,  while  the  action  is 
light,  regular,  and  even,  the  man  should  know 
that  the  forces  are  collected  and  in  the  best 
possible  position  for  obtaining  perfectly  con- 
trolled movements.     The  following  exercises  are 


48  Curb,   Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

designed  to  give  the  rider  power  over  the  forces 
of  the  forehand  and  of  the  croup,  to  enable  him  to 
obtain  and  preserve  this  condition,  in  which  the 
horse  is  ready  to  obey  any  demand.  The  trainer 
may  now  put  on  the  double-reined  bridle  to 
accustom  the  horse  to  the  two  bits,  but  there 
should  be  no  curb-chain,  and  the  snaffle  only  will^ 
be  used. 

To  make  the  horse  elevate  the  head,  the  rider  will 
separate  the  snaffle-reins,  and  draw  them  until  he 
has  a  light  feeling  upon  the  mouth,  closing  his 
leo-s  aofainst  the  flanks  ;  he  will  then  raise  the 
hands  so  that  he  takes  a  light  upward  pull  upon 
the  reins,  and  brings  the  head  of  the  horse  as  high 
as  possible,  the  face  parallel  with  the  ground. 

From  the  position  described  in  the  foregoing 
paragraph,  he  should  bring  the  head  into  posi- 
tion by  gradually  dropping  the  hands  and  carry- 
ing them  towards  his  body  with  light  vibratory 
touches  upon  the  reins,  slightly  pressing  the  heels 
against  the  flanks  to  keep  the  horse  up  to  the  bit. 
When  the  horse  curves  the  crest,  and  brino^s  the 
face  about  vertical  to  the  ground,  the  jaw  being 
pliant  and  the  head  not  too  low,  the  rider  should 
release  the  tension  upon  the  reins  to  reward  the 
horse. 


Suppling  and  Collecting. 


49 


To  make  the  horse  lower  the  head,  the  rider 
should  take  a  light  feeling  upon  the  mouth,  with 
his  legs  closed  against  the  flanks ;  the  hand 
should    then    be   held  low  and   a  steady  tension 


BEXDIXG    THE    HEAD,    MOUNTED. 

taken  upon  the  reins :  the  moment  the  horse 
lowers  the  head,  the  hand  should  release  the 
tension  upon  the  reins,  the  legs  be  withdrawn 
from  the  flanks,  and  the  animal  should  be  re- 
warded.    Then    by    another    tension    upon    the 


50  Curd,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

reins,  made  in  the  same  manner,  the  head  should 
be  still  further  depressed,  and  this  obedience 
acknowledged.  By  degrees,  the  horse  can  be 
taught  to  lower  the  head  until  the  nose  reaches 
the  ground. 

To  assist  in  making  the  whole  neck  and  the 
jaw  supple,  the  rider  should  bend  the  head  first  to 
one  side,  and  then  to  the  other,  until  the  horse  can 
be  brought  to  carry  the  face  to  the  rear  without 
rigidity  or  resistance.  To  make  this  bend,  say  to 
the  left,  the  rider  will  put  the  horse  perfectly 
straight,  the  face  vertical  to  the  ground,  and  the 
head  carried  at  a  natural  height.  Then  the 
snaffle-reins  being  held  divided  in  the  tw^o  hands, 
he  should  close  his  legs  against  the  flanks,  the 
right  leg  a  little  more  strongly  than  the  left,  and 
by  gentle  tensions  upon  the  left  rein,  supported 
and  governed  by  the  right  rein,  he  will  give  the 
head  of  the  horse  a  slight  bend  to  the  left.  The 
object  of  the  rider  will  be  to  obtain  this  by  as 
light  tension  upon  the  reins  as  will  produce  the 
bend,  and  he  should  keep  the  head  at  the  proper 
height,  the  face  vertical  to  the  ground,  and  the 
under  jaw  of  the  horse  elastic  and  supple:  gradu- 
ally the  bend,  will  be  made  until  the  face  looks  to 


Suppling  and  Collecting. 


the  rear.  The  rider  will  always  carry  back  the 
head  to  the  position  straight  with  the  body  by 
means  of  the  reins,  not  permitting  the  horse  to 
volunteer  this.      In   the  same    manner,   and  with 


CARRYING    THE    HIND    LEGS    UNDER    THE    BODY. 

the  same  care,  the  head  and  neck  shall  be  bent  to 
the  right,  right  and  left  aids  being  interchanged. 

The  rider  should  occasionally  make  the  horse 
carry  its  hind  legs  U7ider  the  body  by  closing  both 
heels  against  the  flanks  and  giving  light  whip- 


52 


Curb,  Snajjle.  and  Spur, 


taps  upon  the  rump,  holding  the  forehand  in 
place.  To  bring  the  horse  into  a  natural  position, 
the  hind  legs  should  not  be  permitted  to  move  to 
the  rear,  but  the  trainer  should  induce  the  horse 


CARRYING    THE    HIND    LEGS    UNDER    THE    BODY. 


to    advance  the  fore  legs   until    the    horse    rests 
easily. 

Should  the  mounted  horse  be  slow  in  learning 
this,  a  few  lessons  given  on  foot  will  soon  show  it 
what  the  trainer  demands.     Standino^  on  the  near 


Stippling  and  Collectirig.  53 

side,  and  holding  the  snaffle-reins  in  the  left  hand 
under  the  horse's  chin,  the  man  should  apply  the 
whip  in  light  strokes  upon  the  rump  ;  as  soon  as 
a  hind  leg  is  carried  under  the  body  the  horse 
should  be  rewarded,  and  the  lesson  then  be 
resumed,  and  the  other  hind  leg  be  brought  up. 
In  time  the  horse,  mounted  or  unmounted,  can 
be  made  to  carry  both  hind  legs  w^ell  under  its 
body. 

When  the  mounted  horse  w^ill  answer  readily 
the  combined  applications  of  the  whip  and  of  the 
heels,  the  whip  taps  should  be  dispensed  with, 
and  the  hind  legs  should  be  carried  under  the 
mass  at  the  pressure  of  the  rider's  heels,  while 
the  hand  gently  keeps  the  forehand  in  place. 


CHAPTER   V. 

REVERSED     PIROUETTES,    LOW    PIROUETTES,    BENDING 
HEAD    IN    ACTION. TRAVERS    AND    RENVERS. 

THE  exercises  described  in  this  chapter  may 
be  conducted  in  the  snaffle-bridle,  or  in  the 
double  bridle  without  the  curb-chain,  the  rider 
using  the  snaffle-reins.  The  lessons  will  be 
begun  by  practice  in  some  of  the  preceding  ex- 
ercises, particularly  in  those  in  which  the  horse 
shows  the  least  improvement,  and  the  animal 
should  be  ridden  in  the  walk  and  in  the  trot,  but 
not  to  the  point  of  fatigue.  I  may  say  here  that 
it  is  an  excellent  practice  to  put  the  young  horse, 
even  after  it  has  been  placed  in  the  double  bridle, 
throuQ-h  the  whole  course  of  lessons  from  the 
beginning. 

The  reversed  pu'ouette  is  a  movement  in  which 
the  horse  carries  the  croup  about  the  forehand, 
the  outer  fore  leg  acting  as  a  fixed  pivot;  that 
is,  if  the  croup  is  carried  about  to  the  right,  the 


Movements  tip  on   Two  Paths. 


OD 


left  fore  leg  will  remain  upon  the  ground,  and  the 
body  will  go  about  it,  the  other  legs  taking  such 
steps  as  to  insure  the  movement  being  made 
smoothly   and    lightly.     The    reversed    pirouette 


REVERSED    PIROUETTE, 


prepares  the  horse  for  the  gallop  and  the  gallop 
change,  supples  and  makes  obedient  the  hind 
quarters,  and  is  most  useful  generally  in  the  edu- 
cation of  the  animal.  To  teach  this  to  the  horse, 
say  to  the  right,  the  rider  will  bring  it  to  a  halt, 


56  Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

and  demand  some  degree  of  union  of  the  extremi- 
ties by  a  pressure  of  the  legs  against  the  flanks, 
and  a  light  tension  upon  the  reins  ;  he  will  then 
bend  the  head  slightly  to  the  right,  by  an  increased 
tension  upon  the  right  rein  measured  by  the  left 
rein,  and  increase  the  pressure  of  the  left  heel 
until  the  croup  takes  one  step  to  the  right,  the 
forehand  held  in  place.  If  the  horse  volunteers 
more  steps,  it  will  be  stopped  by  the  right  heel  of 
the  rider.  Upon  its  taking  the  step  to  the  right, 
the  rider  shall  reward  the  horse  by  withdraw- 
ing the  aids.  The  horse  should  then  again  be 
collected,  be  made  to  take  a  second  step,  and  then 
be  stopped  and  rewarded.  In  time  it  should  be 
made  to  make  the  complete  circle  of  the  croup, 
step  by  step,  about  the  forehand,  the  head  bent 
to  the  right,  the  left  fore  leg  in  place  as  a  pivot, 
and  the  whole  horse  light  and  without  rigidity. 
The  short  steps  of  the  right  fore  leg  should  be 
induced  by  a  vibration  of  the  right  rein,  and  if 
necessary,  the  rider  may  tap  the  right  fore  leg 
with  the  whip,  to  insure  its  being  brought  up  as 
the  position  of  the  mass  changes.  Should  the 
horse  not  answer  the  left  heel  readily,  its  indica- 
tion may  be  enforced  by  the  rider  carrying  his 


Movements  up07i   Two  Paths, 


57 


right  hand  behind  his  back,  and  tapping  the 
horse  with  the  whip  upon  the  left  side,  just  behind 
the  girths. 

The  pirouette  reversed   to  the  left  should  be 
made  in  the  same  way,  right  and  left  aids  being 


APPLYING    WHIP    TO    THE    NEAR    FLANK. 


interchanged.  If  the  whip  is  used  to  teach  the 
indication  of  the  right  heel  in  bending  the  croup 
to  the  left,  it  should  be  held  in  the  rider's  right 
hand,   with    the    tip    down,  and    be    applied  just 


58  Curb,   Snaffle^  and  Spur. 

behind  the  girths,  as  the  right  heel  is  giving  its 
pressure.  These  pirouettes  reversed  should  be 
made  from  the  halt,  until  the  horse  is  put  into 
the  double  bridle,  and  the  rider  should  insist 
upon  as  much  lightness  and  regularity  as  he  can 
demand. 

The  low  pirouette  is  an  exercise  for  disciplin- 
ing the  forehand,  and  in  preparing  the  animal 
for  the  pirouettes  in  action.  In  the  low  pirouette 
the  forehand  is  carried  about  the  croup  at  the 
walk,  the  inner  hind  leg  acting  as  the  pivot, 
the  outer  hind  leg  being  moved  sufficiently,  as 
the  horse  turns,  to  keep  its  proper  place,  with 
regard  to  the  changing  positions  of  the  mass ; 
the  head  of  the  horse  should  be  slightly  bent  in 
the  direction  of  the  movement.  To  teach  the 
movement,  say  to  the  right,  the  horse  should  be 
united  between  hand  and  heels ;  the  head  of  the 
horse  should  then  be  slightly  bent  to  the  right, 
and  the  forehand  moved  about  the  croup  by  the 
action  of  the  reins,  the  increased  tension  upon 
the  right  rein  being  measured  by  the  left,  the  left 
leg  of  the  rider  holding  the  croup  in  place,  and 
inducing  the  movement  of  the  left  hind  leg  of 
the  horse ;  when  the  half-circle  has  been  made. 


Movements  upon   Two  Paths. 


59 


the    horse    should    be    put    straight   in    the   new 
position  and  rewarded. 

The  low  pirouette  to  the  left  may  be  made  in 
the  same  manner,  the   ri^ht  and  left  aids  bein^ 


LOW    PIROUETIE. 


interchanged,  the  head  of  the  horse  slightly  bent 
to  the  left,  the  left  hind  leg  being  the  pivot. 

The  horse  should  also  be  practised  in  bending 
the  head  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  while  in  the 
walk,  upon  direct  lines,  and  upon  circumferences 


6o  Curb,  Snajfie,  and  Spur. 

of  circles.  As  a  rule,  this  bend  should  not  be 
very  great,  as  the  rider  must  avoid  teaching  the 
horse  to  throw  its  head  too  far  to  either  side ;  but 
the  forehand  must  be  so  supple  that,  should  the 
rider  require  it,  he  can  turn  the  head  so  far  that 
the  horse  looks  to  the  rear.  The  horse  must  not 
be  permitted  to  volunteer  the  bend,  or  to  bend 
further  than  is  demanded,  or  to  carry  the  head 
back  to  the  line  of  progress,  but  the  whole  of  the 
forehand  should  be  under  the  rider's  control,  and 
the  jaw  should  be  light  and  elastic,  and  every 
tension  upon  one  rein  must  have  its  effect  meas- 
ured and  controlled  by  the  other  rein ;  that  is, 
in  such  demands  for  bends  and  turns,  there 
should  always  be  a  tension  upon  both  reins,  the 
acting  rein  having  the  stronger  tension,  the  other 
rein  guarding  against  too  great  an  effect  of  the 
actino^  rein. 

We  have  now  but  one  exercise  remaining  for 
the  snaffle,  the  movement  upon  two  paths,  the 
forehand  on  one  path  slightly  in  advance  of  the 
croup  upon  a  parallel  path,  the  head  slightly  bent 
in  the  direction  of  progress.  When,  in  changing 
direction  in  this  movement,  the  forehand  follows 
the  outer  path  of  the  greater  circumference,  we 


Movements  iipon   Tzvo  Paths, 


6i 


have  the  travej^s.  When  the  croup  follows  the 
path  of  the  greater  circumference  at  the  turns 
and  changes  of  direction,  we  have  the  renvers ; 
that  is,  in   the   riding  house,  "  the    head    to   the 


ik 


TRAVERS. 

wall "  upon  two  paths  is  travers,  "  the   croup  to 
the  wall "  is  renvers. 

To  teach  the  movement  upon  two  paths,  say 
to  the  right,  the  rider  w^ill  take  the  horse  well 
united  in  a  walking  pace,  with  a  wall  on  the  left 
hand :  then  he  will  slightly  bend  the  head  to  the 


62  Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur, 

right,  and  increase  the  pressure  of  his  left  heel 
against  the  flank,  until  the  horse  moves  sideways, 
with  its  body  placed  diagonally  across  the  line  of 
movement,  the  forehand  a  little  in  advance  of  the 
croup,  the  left  leg  of  each  extremity  passing  in 
front  of  the  right  leg.  At  first,  the  rider  should 
be  content  with  a  few  steps  to  the  side,  and  then 
he  should  straighten  the  horse  and  let  it  proceed 
for  a  short  time  on  a  direct  single  path.  To 
make  the  turn  in  travers,  the  croup  will  be  re- 
tarded upon  a  small  circle,  while  the  forehand  is 
carried  about  the  larger  outside  circle,  so  that, 
when  the  change  of  direction  has  been  made,  the 
horse  will  be  in  the  proper  position  with  reference 
to  the  two  paths.  By  gradually  extending  the 
lessons,  the  horse  should  be  brought  to  go  any 
required  distance  in  travers,  the  horse  being  light 
and  without  rigidity  or  resistance  in  any  part, 
and  being  kept  well  up  to  the  lines.  The  travers 
to  the  left  may  be  made  in  the  same  manner, 
right  and  left  aids  being  interchanged.  Head  to 
the  wall  should  be  well  practised  before  the  rider 
undertakes  croup  to  the  wall  or  renvers,  as  in  the 
latter  movement  the  rider  does  not  have,  to  so 
great  an  extent,  the  assistance  of  the  wall  in  con- 
trolling the  position  of  the  horse.     As  the  aids 


Movements  2ipon   Two  Paths. 


63 


are  used  in  exactly  the  same  manner  in  both 
movements,  the  lessons  in  travers  prepare  the 
animal  for  the  renvers. 

To  make  the  horse  perform  the  renvers,  say  to 
the  left,  the  rider  will  take  the  animal  in  a  united 


RENVERS. 


walk  on  a  single  path  about  half  its  length  from 
the  wall,  which  will  be  on  his  left  hand,  then  by 
bending  its  head  slightly  to  the  left,  and  by 
increasing  the  pressure  of  the  right  heel,  he  will 
induce  the  horse  to  pass  along  on  two  paths,  the 


64  Cztrb,  Snajfle,  and  Spur. 

forehand  a  little  in  advance  of  the  croup,  which 
will  be,  by  the  bend  given  it,  close  to  the  wall, 
and  in  a  measure  guided  by  it.  In  changing 
direction  in  renvers,  the  forehand  will  be  retarded 
upon  the  inner  smaller  circle,  while  the  croup 
goes  about  on  the  outer  larger  circumference,  the 
horse  holding  its  proper  position  to  the  two  lines, 
at  every  point,  during  the  turn,  so  that  the  body 
will  be  diagonally  disposed  across  the  lines  when 
the  change  has  been  made  and  the  new  direction 
is  followed. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  in  the  exercise 
upon  the  two  paths  that  the  position  of  the 
horse,  its  suppleness  and  elasticity,  and  its  regu- 
larity of  pace  are  observed ;  as  much  of  the 
precision  and  promptness  with  which  all  other 
movements  may  be  made  are  dependent  upon  the 
discipline  exacted  in  travers  and  renvers. 

It  should  now  be  a  very  easy  matter  to  perfect 
the  training  of  the  horse.  We  have  passed  the 
stage  where  resistances  are  to  be  expected ;  we 
should  have  the  horse  fairly  suppled  and  obedient 
to  the  aids,  with  a  lightness  and  vivacity  that 
gives  a  very  different  bearing  from  that  we  found 
in  the  timorous  and  awkward  colt;  and  when,  in 
the  double  bridle,  we  can  bring  about  the  various 


Movements  tipon   Two  Paths.  65 

forms  of  balance  and  union  of  the  forces,  the 
rider  may  demand  and  secure  any  movement  or 
action  of  which  the  animal  is  physically  capable. 

After  the  horse  has  been  taught  to  pass  "  in 
head  to  the  wall,"  and  "  in  croup  to  the  wall," 
smoothly  and  regularly,  it  should  be  made  to 
perform  travers  and  renvers  away  from  the  wall, 
when  the  rider  must  depend  w^holly  upon  the 
hand  and  the  heels.  In  these  movements  to 
either  hand  upon  two  paths,  the  shoulder  of  the 
rider  upon  the  side  of  the  movement  should  be 
slightly  retired  :  that  is,  in  travers  or  renvers  to 
the  right,  the  right  shoulder  of  the  rider  should 
be  retired ;  in  travers  or  renvers  to  the  left,  the 
left  shoulder  should  be  retired. 

There  is  a  movement  practised  in  most  armies 
called  schlissen,  or  "  closing  up,"  in  which  the 
horse  is  made  to  pass  to  the  right  or  to  the  left 
upon  two  paths,  with  the  body  straight  across 
the  line  of  direction ;  but  this  is  objectionable  by 
reason  that  the  horse  is  apt  to  knock  its  legs. 
Intervals  can  be  readily  closed  by  the  oblique 
movements,  and  awkward  interferences  of  the 
horse's  legs  are  avoided. 


i^att   II. 

IN   THE   DOUBLE-REINED   BRIDLE. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE     UNION     AND     BALANCE     OF     THE     FORCES. IN 

HAND,    THE    UNION,    THE    HALF-HALT. 

FROM  this  time  forth  the  complete  double- 
reined  bridle  should  be  used,  the  curb-chain 
so  arranged  that  it  will  fit  into  the  chin  groove 
without  pinching,  and  yet  not  so  loose  that 
the  effect  of  the  lever  is  diminished.  The  curb- 
chain  should  never  be  changed  to  give  a  lighter 
or  a  stronger  effect  to  the  bit ;  but  any  desired 
changes  in  the  powers  of  the  curb-bit  should  be 
by  the  use  of  long  or  short  branches.  For  the 
ordinary  purposes  with  horses  of  normal  jaw^s 
a  bit  W'ith  branches  measuring  four  and  one- 
half  inches  from  the  middle  of  the  mouth-piece 
to  the  fitting  of  the  lower  ring  should  be  found 
to  answer. 

The  curb-bit  is  a  lever  which  acts  upon  the 
bare  bars  of  the  lower  jaw^  of  the  horse,  and 
gives  the  rider  greater  powder  in  certain  ways 
over    the    animal    than    the    snaffle,    which   does 


JO  Ctcrb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur, 

not  always  take  its  bearing  upon  the  most 
sensitive  points ;  but  the  latter  has  a  wider 
range  of  effect  than  the  curb-bit,  and  should 
be  used  with  it  to  assist  the  stronger  instrument 
when  it  fails  by  reason  of  its  limits.  The  curb- 
bit  is  of  use  in  restraining  and  in  carrying  back 
the  impulses.  The  snaffle  is  of  use  in  elevating 
or  in  depressing  the  forehand,  and  in  teaching 
the   chano-es  of  direction. 

The  trainer  should  consider  the  two  extremi- 
ties of  the  horse  as  parts  of  a  machine  which 
should  be  made  to  work  in  unison.  The  rider  s 
heels  control  the  hind  quarters  and  bring  up 
the  impulses.  The  hand  controls  the  forehand 
and  directs  the  mass,  which  has  been  united 
between  the  application  of  the  aids.  The  forces 
of  the  extremities  should  be  united  as  closely 
and  be  kept  as  level  as  is  consistent  with  the 
movement  which  the  rider  desires  to  obtain. 

When  a  horse  moves  alonQ^  in  a  shambllnof 
pace,  bearing  upon  the  hand  or  dragging  its 
hind  quarters,  it  is  dis-united,  and  is  in  no  con- 
dition to  give  quick  and  ready  obedience  to  its 
rider,  or  even  to  bear  him  with  safety.  Should 
the    rider    demand   increased    impulses  from   the 


In  Hand.  —  The   Union. 


The  Poise, 


croup  aiid  meet  these  with  the  hand  until  the 
cadence  of  the  pace  becomes  regular,  and  the 
animal  moves  with  its  head  held  perpendicu- 
larly to  the  plane  of  movement,  its  neck  curved, 


IN    HAND    IN   THE    TROT. 

its  mouth  supple,  and  taking  just  such  a  tension 
upon  the  reins  as  permits  the  indications  of 
the  reins  to  be  given,  the  horse  is  "  in  hand," 
the  state  in  which  the  animal  should  habitually 
be  ridden. 


72  Curd,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

A  still  closer  collection  is  "  the  union,"  in 
which  the  forces  are  so  nearly  balanced  that 
the  pace  is  very  slow  and  the  increased  exertion 
of  the  horse  is  turned  into  action.  It  is  best 
taught  from  a  slow  trot,  the  impulses  from  the 
croup  in  that  pace  giving  the  hand  the  means 
of  bringing  about  the  close  collection  of  the 
forces.  When  the  crest  is  curved,  the  jaw  is 
pliant,  and  the  muscles  of  the  neck  swell  and 
play,  and  the  horse  seems  to  grow  under  the 
rider,  while  the  pace  is  one  in  which  with  bold 
and  high  action  each  pair  of  diagonally  disposed 
legs  work  in  perfect  unison,  the  horse  then  is  in 
"  the  union,"  the  highest  form  of  collection  con- 
sistent with  motion  in  which  there  is  no  pause 
at  each  stride.  The  union  may  also  be  pro- 
duced in  the  gallop,  where  the  pace  will  be  one 
of  four  beats.  The  union  is  used  in  reducing 
the  speed  for  changes  of  direction,  as  prelimi- 
nary for  the  half-halt,  and  for  the  production 
of  brilliant  action. 

When  the  forces  are  brought  to  a  point  of 
absolute  union  and  balance  under  the  rider 
there  can  be  no  motion,  and  we  have  the  half- 
halt  or  poise.     The  horse  is  still  in  action,   that 


In  Hand.  —  The   Union.  —  The  Poise.     7 


is,  the  legs  are  flexed ;  but  there  is  a  momentary 
pause  brought  about  by  bringing  back  the 
forces  of  the  forehand  until  they  meet  in 
balance   the    acting   forces  of   the   croup.     From 


UMTED    TROT. 


this  poise  the  horse  may  be  moved  to  the  front, 
to  the  rear,  or  to  either  side,  while  the  animal 
is  still  light,  by  the  aids  making  some  demand 
before  the  flexed  legs  are  planted.  As  this 
half-halt    requires    great    nervous    and    muscular 


74  Om^b,  Snaffle,  and  Spur, 

exertion,  it  can  only  be  sustained  for  the  moment, 
and  the  horse  must  either  make  some  movement, 
or  grow  heavy  or  disorderly.  The  half-halt 
is  employed  in  teaching  the  gallop  changes,  in 
making  marked  changes  of  directions,  as  in  the 
pirouettes  direct  and  reversed,  and  in  bringing 
the  horse  to  a  finished  halt  from  action.  There 
may  be  intermediate  forms  of  collection ;  but 
the  three  we  have  fixed  upon  have  their  uses  and 
their  distinctive  peculiarities.  For  example,  if 
the  forces  are  more  closely  collected  than  "  the 
union,"  we  should  have  a  pause  in  each  stride, 
as  is  the  case  in  the  "  passage ;"  or  if  the  forces 
are  less  closely  collected  than  in  "  the  union," 
we  might  have  more  action  than  when  "  in 
hand,"  but  lose  the  brilliancy  and  the  bold 
strides  of  "the  union." 

"  In  hand "  is,  therefore,  the  lowest  form  of 
collection  in  which  we  can  have  suppleness  and 
clear  even  paces. 

"  The  union"  is  where  we  have  the  closest 
collection  compatible  with  uninterrupted  motion. 

"  The  poise  "  is  a  half-halt,  produced  by  -bring- 
ing the  forces  of  the  extremities  to  a  point  of 
union   and   balance,  and  can  be    maintained   for 


In  Hand.  —  The   Union.  —  The  Poise,     75 

a  moment  only,  when  some  movement  should 
be  demanded,  while  the  legs  are  flexed,  or  the 
horse  should  be  permitted  to  come  to  a  finished 
halt  and   the  aids  be  withdrawn. 


HALF- HALT  FROM  THE  TROT. 

These  different  forms  of  collection  should 
be  practised  in  the  walk,  in  the  trot,  in  the 
gallop,  and  at  the  halt.  As  has  been  said,  it  is 
easier  to  produce  them  from  the  trot  than  from 
either  the   halt,   or  the    other  paces,  as  the  trot 


76 


Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 


is  a  level  gait  in  which  the  strong  and  regular 
impulses  assist  the  aids  in  uniting  the  horse. 
But  the  rider  should  be  able  to  bring  the  horse 
"  in   hand  in  place''  after  one  or  two  lessons  in 


IN    HAND     IN    PLACE. 


the  curb-bit,  and  in  time  he  will  be  able  to 
demand  the  closer  collections  without  the  im- 
pulses of  the  paces.  The  horse  should  always 
be  brought  in  hand  in  place  before  any  move- 
ment is    required.     The  closer  forms   of  collec- 


In  Hand,  —  The   Union,  —  The  Poise,     "jj 

tion  at  the  halt  may  be  practised  simply  for  the 
discipline  they  involve. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  tension 
upon  the  curb-reins  should  never  be  long-con- 
tinued or  severe;  the  bridle-hand  should  give 
vibratory  plays  upon  the  mouth,  so  that  it  will 
be  kept  fresh  and  elastic,  ready  to  yield  to  any 
demand  of  the  reins,  and  never  forced  to  a 
rigid  resistance  for  a  defence  against  a  cruel 
use  of  the  bit.  When  the  horse  has  been  so 
disciplined  that  it  instinctively  gives  up  all 
opposition  to  the  bit,  the  animal  cannot  rear,  bolt, 
or  refuse  to  turn.  When  it  has  been  so  disci- 
plined that  it  instinctively  answers  to  the  spur, 
a  more  difficult  task,  the  rider's  will  is  para- 
mount in   everything. 


CHAPTER    II. 

INDIRECT     INDICATIONS     OF     THE     CURB-BIT. 

IN     THE     DOUBLE    BRIDLE. 

^T^HE  trained  horse  should  be  ridden  with  the 
A  reins  held  in  one  hand,  the  other  being 
free,  to  assist  the  bridle-hand  or  for  any  other 
purpose.  It  will  be  necessary  to  teach  the  horse 
to  obey  the  touches  of  the  curb-rein  upon  the 
neck,  or  the  indirect  indicatioits  of  the  curb-bit,  as 
we  may  call  them,  so  that  the  bridle-hand  may 
control  the  movements  of  the  horse  without  the 
aid  of  the  snaffle,  which  up  to  this  time  has  been 
the  bit  in  which  the  horse  has  been  trained. 

The  trainer  must  see  that  the  horse  under- 
stands and  obeys  the  direct  as  well  as  the  indii^ect 
indications  of  the  curb-bit,  for  they  are  not  incom- 
patible, and  it  will  be  safer  for  the  latter  to  be 
preceded  by  a  slight  suggestion  of  the  direct 
touch  of  the  bit  in  the  manner  I  shall  hereafter 
explain. 


Indirect  Indications  of  the  Ctird-Bit.        79 

In  teaching  the  indirect  indications  of  the 
curb-bit,  I  have  found  the  following  manner  of 
holding  the  reins  very  efficient:  the  curb-reins 
held  in  the  left  hand  divided  by  the  little  finger, 
the  loose  ends  of  the  reins  carried  through  the 
hand,  and  held  fast  by  the  thumb  against  the  fore- 
finger ;  the  hand  held  high  or  low  as  the  horse 
requires  the  head  to  be  elevated  or  lowered, 
the  thumbs  pointing  towards  the  horse's  ears. 
The  right  hand,  carried  above  the  left,  should 
hold  the  snaffle-reins,  and  when  it  is  necessary  to 
employ  the  latter,  the  left  hand  will  release  the 
tension  upon  the  curb-reins,  the  tension  upon  the 
curb-reins  being  resumed  w^ien  the  snaffle  ceases 
to  act ;  that  is,  there  should  not  be  a  tension 
upon  both  sets   of  reins  at  the  same   time. 

If  the  exercises  described  in  the  preceding 
chapters  have  been  carefully  carried  out,  the  rider 
should  experience  no  difficulty  in  bringing  the 
horse  to  the  various  forms  of  collection  with  the 
curb-reins,  particularly  if  he  bears  in  mind  that 
the  impulses  from  action  help  the  aids  in  uniting 
the  extremities  of  the  horse. 

To  turn  the  horse  to  the  right,  the  right  snaffle- 
rein,  supported  and  its  effects  measured  by  the 


8o  Curb,  Sjiaffle,  and  Spur. 

left  snaffle-rein,  will  begin  the  turn ;  and  as  soon 
as  the  head  bends  in  the  new  direction,  the  left 
hand  will  be  carried  to  the  right  so  that  the  left 
curb-rein  will  take  a  tension  against  the  left  side 
of  the  neck  of  the  horse ;  this  interposition  of 
the  neck  will  give  to  the  curb-bit  an  indication 
similar  to  the  direct  tension  upon  the  snaffle- 
rein.  As  soon  as  the  change  has  been  effected, 
the  snaffle-reins  will  straighten  the  horse,  and 
the  even  tension  upon  the  curb-reins  will  be 
resumed. 

In  the  same  way  the  turn  to  the  left  will  be 
begun  by  the  left  snaffle-rein,  supported  and  its 
effects  measured  by  the  right  snaffle-rein,  and 
then  the  left  hand  will  be  carried  to  the  left  until 
the  right  curb-rein  takes  a  tension  against  the 
right  side  of  the  neck  of  the  horse.  The  snaffle- 
reins  will  straighten  the  horse  after  the  change  of 
direction  has  been  made,  and  then  the  even 
tensions  upon  the  curb-reins  will  be  resumed. 

Of  course,  in  these,  and  in  all  other  changes  of 
direction  upon  single  lines,  the  horse  will  first  be 
prepared  by  a  closer  collection,  and  the  outside 
heel  will  keep  the  croup  upon  the  path  followed 
by  the  forehand. 


Indirect  Indications  of  the  Curb- Bit.       8 1 

In  the  walk  and  in  the  trot,  the  horse  should 
be  made  to  change  direction  in  this  manner,  and 
to  pass  in  circles  of  various  diameters  and  in 
various  figures,  the  same  principles  being  ob- 
served. Gradually  the  introductory  direct  indi- 
cation of  the  snaffle-reins  may  be  reduced  and 
finally  be  dispensed  with,  the  curb-reins  alone 
being  used  in  changing  direction,  when  the  curb- 
reins  should  be  employed  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  still  held  in  the  left  hand,  the  thumb 
pointing  towards  the  ears  of  the  horse,  the  snaffle- 
reins  held  loosely  in  the  left  hand,  divided  by  the 
long  finger,  or  in  the  right  hand,  as  the  rider 
elects.  To  turn  to  the  right,  the  bridle-hand  will 
be  turned  so  that  the  thumb  points  to  the  rider's 
right  shoulder,  which  gives  a  direct  indication  of 
the  right  curb-rein ;  the  bridle-hand  is  then 
carried  to  the  right  so  that  the  left  curb-rein  has 
a  tension  against  the  left  side  of  the  horse's  neck, 
which  gives  an  indication  similar  in  effect  to  that 
already  made  by  the  right  curb-rein.  When  the 
change  of  direction  has  been  made,  the  hand 
should  be  dropped,  and  an  even  tension  taken 
upon  the  two  curb-reins. 

To    turn  to    the  left,  the  left  hand  should  be 

6 


82  Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

turned  so  that  the  thumb  points  towards  the 
ground  over  the  left  shoulder  of  the  horse ;  this 
gives  a  direct  tension  upon  the  left  curb-rein. 
The  hand  should  then  be  carried  to  the  left,  so 
that  the  right  curb- rein  takes  a  tension  against 
the  right  side  of  the  horse's  neck,  which  will  give 
an  indication  similar  in  effect  to  that  made  by  the 
direct  tension  upon  the  left  curb-rein.  When  the 
chano^e  of  direction  has  been  effected,  the  hand 
should  be  placed  in  position,  and  an  even  tension 
taken  upon  the  two  curb-reins. 

By  a  little  practice,  the  horse  may  be  taught  to 
elevate  or  to  depress  the  head  by  means  of  the 
curb-reins  in  exactly  the  same  manner  as  with 
the  snafffe-reins  ;  and  this  practice  is  essential,  as 
a  thoroughly  trained  horse  should  be  managed 
by  the  curb-bit  independently  of  the  snaffle, 
although  it  is  always  safe  to  have  the  latter,  in 
case,  through  lack  of  discipline,  the  horse  fails  to 
obey  the  curb-bit  in  the  points  where  its  effects 
are  the  weakest. 

I  wish  to  say  here  that  I  have  never  seen  a 
"  combination  bit "  that  could  supply  the  place 
of  curb  and  snaffle.  To  properly  control  the 
saddle-horse,  one   must   have   the  effects   of  the 


Indirect  Indications  of  the  Curb- Bit,       83 

snaffle,  —  the  best  bit,  and  perhaps  the  most 
ancient  mouth-piece  made  of  metal,  —  and  he 
should  have  the  curb-bit  in  connection  with  it. 
If  a  single  bit  is  used  it  should  be  the  snaffle, 
and  never  the  other  alone.  I  do  not  dispute  that 
many  of  the  patent  bits  may  be  of  value  for  har- 
ness-horses, but  they  are  worthless  for  the  rider ; 
and  the  Pelham  bit,  which  has  for  many  years 
been  widely  employed,  does  not  give  either  of 
the  two  principal  effects  for  which  it  was 
designed. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  GALLOP. THE  GALLOP  CHANGES. 

I  DO  not  put  my  horses  into  the  gallop  until 
they  have  been  thoroughly  disciplined  in  the 
walk  and  in  the  trot  in  the  various  forms  of  col- 
lection. It  is  then  a  very  simple  thing  to  teach 
a  horse  to  gallop  with  true  action  in  an  even 
cadence. 

In  the  gallop,  a  horse  goes  into  air  from  a  fore 
leg  in  each  stride ;  it  then  plants  the  hind  leg  of 
the  opposite  side,  then  the  other  hind  leg,  then 
the  fore  leg  of  the  side  of  the  first  planted  hind 
leg,  and  finally  the  remaining  fore  leg,  from  which 
it  again  goes  into  air.  In  this  pace,  the  legs  of 
one  side  take  advanced  steps  in  each  stride,  and 
if  these  be  the  right  legs,  the  horse  is  in  gallop 
right,  and  if  they  be  the  left  legs  the  horse  is  in 
gallop  left;  that  is,  in  gallop  right  the  horse 
plants  the  left  hind  leg  after  going  into  air;  it 
then  plants  the  right  hind  leg,  then  the  left  fore 


The  Gallop.  —  The  Gallop  Changes.        85 

leg,  and  lastly  the  right  fore  leg,  from  which  it 
goes  into  air  for  a  new  stride. 

The  horse  should  be  in  gallop  right  in  turning 
to  the  right,  in  gallop  left  in  turning  to  the  left, 
so  that  it  will  have  a  bearer  under  the  centre  of 
gravity  as  the  turn  is  made. 

The  gallop  is  called  a  pace  of  four  beats,  but 
in  the  ordinary  slow  gallop  in  hand,  the  second 
planted  hind  leg  and  the  opposite  fore  leg  strike 
the  ground  so  nearly  at  the  same  moment,  that 
it  becomes  a  pace  of  three  beats.  In  the  school- 
gallop,  or  shortened  gallop,  the  forehand  is  so 
supported  that  the  second  planted  hind  leg  comes 
to  the  ground  an  appreciable  time  before  the 
diagonally  disposed  fore  leg,  and  the  pace  is  of 
four  distinct  beats.  In  the  rapid  gallop  the 
horse  is  so  much  extended,  that  we  have  again 
an  example  of  four  beats. 

A  horse  takes  the  gallop  when  the  weights 
have  been  shifted  so  violently  that  the  balance 
necessary  for  the  other  paces  is  impossible ;  in 
the  gallop  the  legs  are  brought  to  the  ground  one 
after  another,  and  no  matter  how  great  may  be 
the  changes  in  the  position  of  the  centre  of  grav- 
ity, the  pace  can  be  maintained  as  long  as  the 
horse  can  stand  up. 


86  Cttrb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

The  horse  goes  into  the  gallop  by  taking  the 
weights  upon  the  forehand,  and  by  then  carrying 
one  of  the  hind  legs  under  the  centre  of  gravity, 
when  it  is  in  some  form  of  the  gallop. 

The  horse  is  false  in  the  gallop  if  it  turn  to  the 
right  in  gallop  left,  or  to  the  left  in  gallop  right, 
unless  the  movement  be  intentional  on  the  part 
of  the  rider,  when  it  is  called  the  contra  gallop. 
It  is  also  false  in  the  gallop  if  the  forehand  has 
gallop  right  (or  left),  and  the  croup  has  gallop 
left  (or  right) ;  that  is,  a  cross  gallop. 

To  teach  the  horse  to  take  gallop  right,  the 
rider  should  collect  the  animal  in  a  very  slow 
trot ;  he  should  then  increase  the  pressure  of  the 
left  heel,  and  make  a  gentle  upward  play  with 
the  right  rein.  These  indications  of  the  aids  will 
demand  the  necessary  impulse,  induce  the  proper 
disposition  of  the  hind  legs,  and  lighten  the 
right  side  of  the  forehand,  so  that,  as  the  left 
hind  leg  is  carried  under  the  centre  of  gravity, 
the  horse  will  go  into  gallop  right.  When  the 
horse  takes  the  gallop,  the  aids  must  maintain 
the  action,  and  the  animal  should  be  put  straight 
upon  the  line  of  progress.  The  rate  should  not 
be    so    rapid    that    the    horse  cannot  be  kept  in 


The  Gallop.  —  The  Gallop  Cha7iges,        87 

hand,  or  so  slow  and  languid  that  the  animal 
will  be  disposed  to  resume  the  trot.  The  up- 
ward play  of  the  direct  rein  should  not  be  too 
marked,  and  it  must  be  supported  by  the  opposite 


BREAK    INTO    GALLOP     FROiM    SLOW   TROT. 

rein,  so  that  the  head  will  not  be  displaced.  In 
the  early  lessons,  the  croup  will  of  necessity  be 
somewhat  bent,  but  as  the  lessons  progress,  the 
horse  must  be  taught  to  take  the  gallop  without 
a  perceptible  bend  of  the  croup. 


88  Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

To  teach  the  horse  to  take  the  gallop  left,  the 
right  heel  will  demand  the  proper  position  of  the 
hind  legs,  and  the  impulses  from  the  croup,  and 
an  upward  play  of  the  left  rein  will  prepare  the 
fore  legs  for  the  proper  stride ;  the  rider's  left  leg 
supporting  his  right  leg  as  it  gives  the  stronger 
pressure,  the  right  rein  measuring  the  effects  of 
the  direct  rein.  Of  course,  what  has  been  said 
about  putting  and  keeping  the  horse  straight  in 
the  gallop  right  applies  equally  here. 

After  the  horse  will  take  and  maintain  either 
gallop  right  or  gallop  left,  in  a  free  and  even 
pace,  the  rider  should  carefully  practise  bringing 
it  to  the  shortened-gallop  (or  school-gallop),  by 
demanding  a  closer  union  ;  and,  in  time,  from  this 
shortened-gallop  to  the  "poise,"  or  "half-halt," 
resuming  the  gallop  before  the  animal  has  grown 
heavy  in  hand,  and  gradually  making  the  half-halt 
(what  it  should  be)  nothing  more  than  a  "  rest  of 
one  beat "  in  the  cadence  of  the  pace. 

When  the  horse  has  been  taught  to  observe 
the  half-halt,  it  may  be  taught  to  take  gallop  right 
and  gallop  left  from  "  in  place "  in  exactly  the 
same  manner  as  from  the  walk  or  from  the 
slow   trot. 


The  Gallop.  —  The  Gallop  Changes.        89 

The  horse  should  have  long  and  carefully  con- 
ducted lessons  in  the  gallop,  being  made  to 
change  the  rates  of  speed  and  the  forms  of  col- 
lection at  the  will  of  the  rider ;  and  it  should  be 
made  to  gallop  in  circles  of  various  diameters, 
first  with  the  legs  of  the  side  to  which  it  is  turn- 
ing making  the  extended  strides,  and  afterwards 
in  the  contra  gallop. 

The  horse  should  then  be  ready  to  be  taught 
the  gallop  changes.  I  have  said  that  the  horse 
goes  into  air  from  a  fore  leg  at  each  stride,  this 
fore  leg  being  the  right  in  gallop  right,  the  left  in 
gallop  left.  It  is  when  the  hind  legs  are  leaving 
the  ground  for  the  weight  to  be  thrown  upon  this 
advanced  fore  leg,  that  the  opportunity  is  given 
the  hind  legs  to  change  their  order,  and  when  the 
fore  legs  are  free  from  the  ground  they  change 
their  order,  and  the  change  is  made  in  one  stride 
without  either  extremity  being  false ;  that  is,  in 
changing  from  gallop  right  to  gallop  left,  the 
hind  legs  will  change  their  order  (so  that  the 
right  hind  leg  will  first  be  planted,  and  then 
the  left  hind  leg,  which  has  passed  it,  in  advance 
of  it),  when  they  are  free  from  the  ground  in 
some   stride,   the   forehand    having    the   weights; 


90  Curb,  Siiajfle^  and  Sp7ir. 

and  as  soon  as  the  right  fore  leg  is  free  from  the 
ground,  it  will  be  advanced  and  be  again  planted, 
and  then  the  left  fore  leg  will  be  advanced  and 
brought  to  the  ground,  the  horse  going  into  air 
for  a  new  stride  from  the  latter. 

To  teach  the  horse  to  change  from  gallop  right 
to  gallop  left,  the  animal  should  be  put  into  a 
very  slow  gallop  right  on  a  straight  line.  After 
some  strides  in  this  pace,  the  rider  will  bring  the 
horse  to  a  slow  trot  for  half  a  dozen  strides,  and 
then  very  quietly,  and  without  harassing  or  excit- 
ing the  horse,  put  it  into  gallop  left,  by  collecting 
the  animal,  by  slightly  retiring  his  left  shoulder, 
applying  the  right  leg,  and  making  an  upward 
play  with  the  left  rein. 

Gradually  these  strides  in  the  trot  will  be 
reduced  in  number,  and  in  time  be  replaced  by  a 
half-halt  between  the  gallop  right  and  gallop  left, 
the  aids  to  make  the  change  from  the  half-halt 
being  applied  gently  but  with  exactness  ;  and  the 
shoulder  of  the  rider  upon  the  side  of  the  new 
change  being  slightly  retired,  so  that  his  weight 
will  be  properly  disposed.  The  half-halt  will 
then  be  reduced  until  the  horse  makes  the 
change  from  gallop  right   to  gallop   left   in   the 


The  Gallop.  —  The  Gallop  Changes.        91 

beat  of  the  pace,  the  horse  being  closely  collected 
in  a  very  slow  gallop,  and  the  increased  pressure 
of  the  rider's  right  leg  and  the  upward  play  of 
the    left    rein    taking   effect   at   the   moment   the 


GALLOP    RIGHT. 


advanced  hind  leg  gives  its  impulse  in  some 
stride.  In  very  rapid  gallops  the  horse  must 
have  the  idea  of  changing  before  the  advanced 
fore  leg  (in  the  old  stride)  is  brought  to  the 
ground ;    but    the    rider    cannot    with    certainty 


92  Ctirb,  S7iajfle,  mid  Spur. 

demand  the  gallop  changes  at  a  high  rate  of 
speed  ;  and  in  the  gallop,  where  changes  may  be 
produced,  the  principal  impulse  in  each  leap 
comes  from  the  hind  leg  on  the  side  of  the 
advanced  fore  leg,  and  it  is  as  this  impulse  is 
being  given,  that  the  effects  of  the  aids  for 
demanding  the  change  should  be  felt. 

During  these  lessons  in  changing  from  gallop 
right  to  gallop  left,  a  similar  method  should  be 
followed  in  teaching  the  changes  from  left  to 
right,  both  changes  being  taught  in  the  same 
order ;  that  is,  both  sides  of  the  horse  should  be 
equally  practised  in  the  lessons  with  the  trotting 
strides  between  the  changes,  and  in  the  lessons 
with  the  half-halt  between  the  changes,  and  in 
the  lessons  where  the  changes  are  made  in  the 
beat  of  the   pace. 

To  produce  the  changes  smoothly  and  evenly, 
the  trainer  must  be  satisfied  with  very  slow  pro- 
gress :  the  slight  motions  of  the  rider's  body 
being  gently  made,  and  the  aids  applied  neither 
abruptly  nor  roughly. 

After  the  horse  will  make  the  changes  per- 
fectly at  any  desired  stride  upon  straight  lines, 
the  rider  should  practise  the  changes  in  gallop  in 


The  Gallop.  —  The  Gallop  Changes,        9^ 


turning  from  a  circle  on  one  hand  to  a  circle  on 
the  other  hand,  taking  care  that  the  change  is 
made  as  the  turn  to  the  other  hand  is  demanded ; 
for,   in   turning    abruptly    from    a    circle    on  one 


GALLOP    CHANGES.       FROM    RIGHT    TO    LEFT. 

hand  to  a  circle  on  the  other,  the  horse  will  often 
try  to  begin  the  change  with  the  fore  legs,  and 
this  is  not  only  a  false  movement,  but  it  is  dan- 
gerous, as  there  would  be  no  support  under  the 
centre  of  gravity  in  making  the  turn.     Of  course 


94  Curb,  Snajfle,  and  Spur. 

this  objection  holds  good  for  the  contra  gallop, 
but  that  when  made  intentionally  is  made  with 
care,  and  by  giving  it  something  of  the  character 
of  the  renvers  the  rider  may  reduce  the  risk. 

It  will  be  a  mere  matter  of  skill  and  practice  to 
make  the  gallop  changes  at  any  stride,  or  even  at 
every  stride. 

It  is  important  that  the  body  of  the  horse 
should  be  kept  straight  in  both  gallops,  and  the 
bend  of  the  horse  in  making  the  changes  should 
be  imperceptible ;  the  motions  of  the  rider's  body 
as  he  retires  the  right  shoulder  for  gallop  right, 
the  left  shoulder  for  gallop  left,  should  also  be 
slight,  the  seat  from  the  waist  to  the  knees  being 
undisturbed,  and  with  a  little  practice  he  can 
shift  the  weights  by  muscular  movements  in  such 
a  manner  that  he  will  not  have  the  appearance  of 
having  changed  his  position.  The  less  obvious 
the  motions  of  the  rider  in  controlling  the  horse, 
the  hisfher  will  be  his  skill. 

The  contra  gallop,  that  is,  turning  to  the  right 
in  gallop  left,  to  the  left  in  gallop  right,  should 
often  be  practised  during  the  lesson  in  the 
gallop  changes,  so  that  the  horse  shall  not  volun- 
teer an  undesired  change  when  a  turn  happens 


The  Gallop.  —  The  Gallop  Changes.      95 

to  be  made.  Until  the  horse  becomes  clever  on 
its  feet,  these  changes  of  direction  in  the  contra 
gallop  may  be  made  in  renvers  (upon  two  paths) 
as  the  horse  will  be  less  apt  to  fall  in  the  event 
of  a  mistake. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

TROT     AND     GALLOP. TRAVERS     AND     RENVERS. 

PIROUETTES     FROM      ACTION. LOW     PIROUETTES. 

THE     PIROUETTE    VOLTE. 

I^HE  horse  should  now  be  ridden  in  the  t ravers 
and  renvers  in  the  walk  and  in  the  united 
trot,  both  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  upon 
straight  lines  and  upon  circles,  half-circles,  and 
other  figures,  changing  from  travers  to  renvers 
and  from  renvers  to  travers,  the  proper  bend  of 
the  head  being  always  demanded,  and  the  diago- 
nal position  of  the  body  of  the  horse  with  refer- 
ence to  the  parallel  paths  being  observed.  In 
turning  from  travers  to  renvers,  or  from  renvers 
to  travers,  large  circles  should  at  first  be  followed, 
to  be  gradually  reduced  until  the  movement 
becomes  a  low  pirouette,  or  a  pirouette  reversed, 
the  horse  having  been  very  closely  collected  for 
abrupt  changes  of  direction. 

In  ridine  the  horse  in  the  shortened,  or  united 
trot,   a    very    high    state    of    union    and    balance 


The  Pirouette    Volte,  97 

should  be  demanded,  the  increased  action  taking 
place  under  the  horse,  the  pairs  of  diagonally 
disposed  legs  working  in  perfect  unison,  and  the 
horse  being  supple  throughout.  In  all  the  side 
movements  in  this  trot  the  leg  of  the  rider  which 
demands  the  movement  should  give  accentuated 
pressure  as  the  fore  leg  of  the  opposite  side  is 
being  raised  and  extended,  in  order  that  the 
diagonal  action  may  be  obtained  and  sustained 
by  the  movement  of  the  hind  leg  on  the  side  of 
the  acting  heel ;  it  beins^  understood  that  the 
other  heel  of  the  rider  always  measures  and  con- 
trols the  effect  of  the  heel  giving  the  accentuated 
pressure. 

At  first,  the  snaffle-reins  must  assist  those  of 
the  curb-bit  in  demanding  these  movements  upon 
two  parallel  paths ;  but  the  use  of  the  former  will 
be  gradually  dispensed  with  in  the  manner  before 
described  :  the  indirect  indications  of  the  curb- 
rein  being  always  preceded  by  a  tension  upon  the 
direct  curb-rein.  That  is,  in  bendino:  the  head  to 
the  right  to  pass  to  the  right,  the  bridle-hand  will 
be  turned  towards  the  rider's  right  shoulder,  to 
give  a  direct  tension  upon  the  right  curb-rein, 
and   then   carried   over  to   the   n'orht  so   the    left 

o 
7 


98  Ctirb,  Snaffle,  and  Spzir. 

curb-rein  will  be  brought  against  the  neck  of  the 
horse  :  in  bending  to  the  left  to  pass  to  the  left, 
the  bridle-hand  will  be  turned  so  that  the  thumb 
points  to  the  ground  over  the  left  shoulder  of  the 
horse,  and  it  should  then  be  carried  to  the  left, 
so  that  the  right  rein  will  take  a  tension  with  the 
right  side  of  the  horse's  neck  intervening. 

While  upon  single  direct  lines  in  the  united 
trot,  the  horse  should  be  practised  in  the  reversed 
pirouettes  from  that  pace. 

If,  in  the  united  trot,  the  horse  be  passing 
upon  a  single  straight  line,  and  it  be  desired  to 
move  in  the  opposite  direction,  the  rider  will 
bring  the  animal  to  the  half-halt,  bend  the  head 
slightly  to  the  right  and  fix  the  forehand  in 
place,  while  his  left  leg  carries  the  croup  about  to 
the  right  in  the  beat  of  the  trot :  when  the 
reversed  pirouette  is  so  far  made  that  the  horse 
faces  in  the  new  direction,  the  animal  will  be  put 
straight,  the  balance  between  the  forces  be 
resumed  by  a  reduced  tension  upon  the  reins  and 
by  demanding  renewed  impulses  from  the  croup 
(which  must  be  met  and  measured  by  the  hand), 
and  the  horse  will  go  back  upon  the  path  by 
which  it  came  in  the  same  form  of  trot,  without 


The  Pirouette    Volte. 


99 


having  grown  heavy  or  disunited.  The  reversed 
pirouette  left  will  be  made  in  a  similar  manner, 
by  carrying  the  croup  about  to  the  left,  the 
head  bent  to  the  left. 


PIROUETTE    VOLTE, 


All  of  this  work  upon  two  paths,  in  the  walk 
and  in  the  trot,  prepares  the  horse  for  the  pirou- 
ette volte,  the  most  important  movement  for  the 
mounted  soldier  that  we  can  obtain  from  the 
horse.     The  trooper  who  can  wheel  his  horse  in 


lOO  Curb,   Snaffle,  and  Spur. 


the  gallop  has  a  less  skilled  adversary  at  a  great 
disadvantage ;  and  in  everything  connected  with 
the  mounted  soldier,  the  bridle-hand  makes  the 
sword  hand  effective  or  of  no  avail. 

For  the  galloping  movements  upon  two  paths, 
the  pace  should  either  be  the  school  gallop  or  a 
slow  gallop  of  three  beats. 

After  the  horse  is  fairly  well  accustomed  to 
pass  on  straight  lines,  and  to  make  the  ordinary 
changes  of  direction  of  90°  in  the  travers  gallop, 
it  should  be  brought  to  make  the  travers  in  the 
gallop,  to  either  hand,  upon  the  whole  circles  of 
large  diameters,  gradually  reducing  these.  The 
work  upon  the  circles  should  not  be  continued 
for  any  length  of  time  at  any  one  lesson,  and  the 
circles  should  not  be  much  reduced  too  rapidly, 
or  the  horse  will  become  heavy  and  constrained 
in  action. 

The  diameters  of  the  circumferences  about 
which  these  movements  in  the  travers  in  gallop 
are  made  will  in  time  be  reduced,  until  the  croup 
passes  about  a  circle  so  small  that  the  inner  hind 
foot  treads  on  a  central  spot,  and  we  shall  have 
the  pirouette  volte. 

The  demi-pirouette  volte  will  then  be  demanded 


The  Pirouette   Volte,  loi 

from  the  gallop  on  a  single  path  in  a  straight  line 
in  the  following  manner.  The  horse  being  in, 
say  gallop  right,  the  rider,  on  reaching  the  point 
where  the  turn  is  to  be  made,  will  demand  a  half- 
halt,  retire  his  right  shoulder,  throw  back  the 
weights  to  keep  the  croup  in  place,  carry  the  fore- 
hand about,  and  resume  the  gallop  back  over  the 
line  upon  which  the  horse  has  just  passed.  By 
practice,  the  half-halt  can  be  so  much  reduced  as 
to  be  barely  perceptible,  and  the  pirouette  volte 
will  be  made  almost  in  the  beat  of  the  pace. 

The  full  pirouette  volte  to  the  right  is  made  in 
the  same  manner,  except  that  the  turn  is  com- 
pleted, and  the  horse  is  brought  in  a  series  of 
gallop  strides,  the  inner  hind  leg  treading  in  the 
centre  of  the  circle  about  which  the  body  turns, 
to  face  in  the  original  direction. 

By  a  similar  means,  right  and  left  aids  being 
interchanged,  the  demi-pirouette  volte  and  the 
full  pirouette  volte  will  be  made  to  the  left  from 
gallop  left. 

The  horse  should  also  be  made  to  pass  in 
circles  in  the  gallop  in  renvers,  the  head  towards 
the  centre,  the  forehand,  slightly  retarded,  upon 
the  inner  circumference. 


I02  Curd,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

Whenever,  in  the  gallop  upon  the  two  paths 
an  abrupt  turn  or  change  of  direction  is  to  be 
made,  the  horse  should  be  brought  to  a  half-halt, 
and  if  the  turn  requires  a  change  in  the  gallop 
(from  right  to  left  or  from  left  to  right),  the  gal- 
lop change  should  be  effected  when  the  half-halt 
is  made ;  for  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  in 
passing  to  the  right  the  gallop  must  be  right,  in 
passing  to  the  left  the  gallop  must  be  left. 

For  example,  if  the  horse  be  in  travers  gallop 
to  the  left,  and  it  is  desired  to  go  back  over  the 
same  lines,  in  travers  (or  in  renvers)  left,  at  the 
point  where  the  turn  is  to  be  made  the  rider  will 
bring  the  horse  to  a  half-halt,  throw  back  the 
forces  to  fix  and  hold  the  croup,  carry  the  fore- 
hand about  to  the  left  until  the  body  of  the  horse 
is  properly  placed  with  regard  to  the  changed 
direction,  and  resume  the  gallop  left  upon  two 
paths  in  the  direction  whence  the  horse  has  come. 
Or,  if  the  horse  be  in  the  gallop  left  upon  two 
parallel  paths,  and  it  is  desired  to  pass  back  in 
gallop  right  over  the  same  lines,  the  rider,  upon 
coming  to  the  point  where  the  change  of  direction 
is  to  be  made,  will  bring  the  horse  to  a  half-halt, 
change  from   gallop  left   to  gallop    right,  throw 


The  Pirouette   Volte. 


back  the  forces  to  fix  and  hold  the  croup,  carry 
the  forehand  over  to  the  right,  so  that  the  body 
of  the  horse  will  be  properly  placed  across  the 
parallel  paths,  and  pass  to  the  right,  in  travers 
(or  in  renvers)  in  gallop  right. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    UNION    WITHOUT    THE    REINS. 

WITH    every  horseman  there  may  be  occa- 
sions when  it  will  be  important  that  his 
bridle-hand  should  be  free,  and  that  he  should  be 


UNION   WITHOUT   REINS. 


The   Union  without  the  Reijis. 


105 


able  to  depend  upon  his  horse  maintaining  the 
speed,  action,  and  union,  of  the  moment  in  which 
the  tension  upon  the  reins  is  released.  It  is  also 
excellent  discipline,  on  general  principles,  to  ac- 


UNION    WITHOUT    REINS.       GALLOP. 


custom  the  horse  to  move  in  a  regularly  cadenced 
pace,  without  the  support  of  the  hand. 

This  union  without  support  can  be  readily 
taught  a  horse  which  has  been  brought  to  carry 
itself  in  the  various  forms  of  collection,  by  drop- 


io6  Ctirdy  S7iaffle,  and  Spur, 

ping  the  hand  for  a  moment  when  the  horse  is  in 
hand,  or  more  closely  united,  and  resuming  the 
tension  upon  the  reins  before  the  animal  loses  its 
lightness  or  has  increased  its  speed,  the  rider's 
heels  acting  before  the  tension  upon  the  reins  is 
resumed,  to  insure  the  impulses.  This  momen- 
tary dropping  of  the  hand  will  be  exchanged  by 
gradual  steps  for  longer  periods  of  unsupport, 
until  the  horse,  once  in  hand  or  more  closely 
united,  will  hold  its  state  of  collection  and  main- 
tain the  same  speed  for  an  appreciable  time. 
The  lessons  should  first  be  given  in  the  shortened 
trot,  and  when  the  horse  is  thoroughly  disciplined 
at  that  pace,  it  may  be  taught  in  the  same  man- 
ner to  move  without  support  in  the  gallop.  I 
have  schooled  horses,  without  any  great  labor,  to 
make  the  gallop  changes  with  the  reins  loose 
upon  the  neck,  by  bringing  the  horse  to  observe 
the  half-halt  without  support  when  the  body  of 
the  rider  was  bent  backwards,  and  by  gently  giv- 
ing the  indications  for  the  change  with  the  spur 
at  the  moment  the  half-halt  was  made. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE      HALT      FROM      THE     GALLOP.  THE      USE     OF 

THE     SPURS. 

THE  too  constant  use  of  the  spurs  will  deaden 
the  sensibilities  of  the  horse,  and  render 
it  dull  and  sluggish.  Every  saddle  horse  should 
be  taught  to  bear  the  attacks  of  the  spur  with 
complacency,  but  the  occasions  when  the  sharp 
rowel  is  required  on  a  well-trained  horse  are 
very  rare.  The  schooling  of  a  horse  renders  it 
quick  and  vivacious;  some  horses  show  so 
much  mettle  and  life  that  their  obedience 
appears  w^onderful  to  the  uninitiated ;  yet  that 
very  vivacity  is  one  of  the  results  of  schooling, 
and  the  animal  is  taught  to  be  ready  to  obey 
the  most  gently  given  demand  with  precision 
and  alacrity.  The  mare  which  I  rode  for  the 
illustrations  of  the  advanced  lessons  in  this 
book,  shows  quick  and  vigorous  movements ; 
but  she  has  not  been  touched  with  the  spur 
three    times    since    she    was   taught   to    bear    its 


io8  Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

attacks,   and  she   is    now  at   least   fifteen   years 
old. 

The  best  time  for  teaching  the  horse  to  bear 
the  spur  is  during  the  early  lessons  in  the  double- 
reined  bridle ;  for  by  that  time  the  animal  has 
learned  something  of  the  indications  of  the 
rider's  heels,  and  should  have  great  confidence 
in  its  trainer.  On  some  occasion  when  the  hind 
quarters  require  stimulating,  the  rider  should 
give  a  slight  scratch  with  the  rowel  of  one 
spur,  and  then  calm  the  horse  if  it  shows  sur- 
prise or  excitement.  Later,  it  should,  under 
similar  circumstances,  be  given  a  slight  scratch 
with  the  other  spur,  and  again  be  calmed. 
Gradually  it  should  be  taught  to  take  the  spur 
attacks,  first  of  one  spur,  and  then  of  both 
together,  with  the  same  complacency  with 
which  it  bore  the  pressure  of  the  bare  heels ; 
the  opportunity  for  doing  this  can  be  found 
in  the  exercises  on  two  paths,  and  in  those 
for  demandinor  the  various  forms  of  collection. 
After  the  horse  has  been  tausfht  to  receive 
the  spur  attacks  quietly,  the  aid  may  be  applied 
by  pressing  the  side  of  the  heel  against  the 
flank  of  the  horse,  and  the  spur-scratch  should 


The  Halt  from  the  Gallop,  109 

be  given  only  when  the  severer  form  of  the 
aid  seems  to  be  required.  The  spur  should 
never  be  used  with  force,  or  in  punishment. 

It  is  highly  important  that  horses  which  are 
to  be  employed  in  the  cavalry,  should  be  taught 
to  come  to  an  immediate  halt,  even  from  high 
rates  of  speed.  This  can  be  effected  without 
danger  of  injury  to  the  animal,  if  the  proper 
precautions  are  observed.  The  theory  is,  that 
when  the  hind  legs  are  carried  in  under  the 
mass,  in  any  stride,  the  forehand  is  raised  and 
its  forces  are  carried  back,  while  the  weights 
and  the  returned  momentum  are  received  by 
the  hind  legs  when  they  are  in  the  best  position 
for  taking   the  shock. 

It  is  a  very  simple  matter  to  teach  the  horse 
to  come  to  a  finished  halt  in  any  gallop  stride, 
and  all  of  the  lessons  in  collecting  are  pre- 
paratory for  it;  but  it  should  not  be  practised 
until  the  animal  has  been  thoroughly  trained  in 
everything  recommended  in  the  preceding  chap- 
ter, as  the  rider  requires  the  fullest  obedience. 

The  rider  should  first  practise  the  horse  in 
coming  to  a  halt  from  the  walk  (the  horse 
being  well  collected)  by  pressing  in  both  heels, 
leanino^    back    in    the    saddle,    and    raising    the 


no 


Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur, 


bridle-hand,  so  that  the  horse  will  come  to  a 
stop  with  the  hind  legs  well  under  the  mass.  At 
the  moment  the  halt  is  effected  the  hand  should 
release  the  tension  upon  the  reins,  and  the  heels 


HALT    FROM    THE    GALLOP. 


should   be  withdrawn   from  the    flanks,  and    the 
horse  be  permitted  to  rest. 

In  the  same  manner  he  should  bring  the 
horse  to  a  halt  from  the  trot.  He  may  then 
practise  the  horse  in  coming  to  a  halt  from 
the    gallop,    at    first    putting    the    horse    into    a 


The  Halt  from  the  Gallop,  1 1 1 

slow  united  pace.  As  the  forehand  is  about 
to  take  the  weight  in  some  stride,  he  should 
quickly  press  both  heels  against  the  sides  of 
the  horse,  lean  back  in  the  saddle,  and  raise 
the  bridle-hand.  The  result  of  these  move- 
ments will  be  that  the  hind  legs  will  be  carried 
under  the  mass,  and  be  planted  so  that  they 
will  receive  the  shock  of  the  sudden  halt;  and 
when  the  fore  legs  again  reach  the  ground  the 
horse  will  be  stationary.  The  rider  should  then 
lower  the  bridle-hand  and  withdraw  his  heels 
from  the  flanks,  and  the  horse  will  be  at  rest. 
By  gradual  lessons  he  may  teach  the  horse  to 
come  to  a  halt  from  higher  rates  of  speed,  and 
even  to  come  to  a  half-halt  or  to  a  finished  halt 
in  any  stride  by  the  pressure  of  the  heels  and 
the  bending  back  of  the  body,  without  making 
any  use  of  the  reins.^  It  was  by  a  combination 
of  this  exercise,  and  of  that  of  the  preceding 
chapter,  that  I  was  able  to  make  my  horses 
perform  the  gallop  changes  without  the  use 
of  the  reins. 

1  "  He  went  at  a  gallop  straight  at  the  wall,  only  stopping 
when  the  rider  brought  him  up  with  the  spurs  just  as  his  nose 
would  have  touched  the  bricks."  —  Account  of  the  Training  of 
Alidor.     London  Times,  June   i,    1883. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BACKING. 

THE  preliminary  lessons  in  backing  —  that  is, 
those  given  on  foot — may  be  followed  at 
any  time  after  the  horse  has  been  put  into  the 
snaffle-bridle;  but  the  horsecannot  be  taught  to 
back  smoothly  and  lightly  under  the  rider  until 
it  has  been  carried  as  far  in  its  training  as  the 
gallop  in  the  double-reined  bridle. 

With  a  little  care,  the  horse  may  be  made  to 
go  backward  with  action  as  level  and  regular  as 
in  the  forward  movements,  and  to  make  turns 
and  changes  of  direction  with  the  same  precision 
as  if  advancinor.  The  first  lessons  are  to  be  sfiven 
with  the  trainer  on  foot.  Standing  at  the  near- 
side of  the  horse,  he  should  grasp  with  his  left 
hand  the  snaffle-reins  at  even  lengths  under  the 
horse's  chin,  and  with  his  right  hand  give  a  whip- 
tap  upon  the  animal's  rump.  As  soon  as  an  im- 
pulse is  procured,  he  should  carry  his  left  hand 
towards  the  chest  of  the  horse,  so  that  the  leg 


Backing, 


113 


or  legs  being  flexed  will  take  a  step  to  the  rear, 
instead  of  to  the  front ;  this  one  step  having  been 
taken,  he  will  again  tap  the  horse  upon  the  rump, 
release  the  tension   upon  the  reins,  and  let  the 


BACKING.       THE    IMPULSE. 


horse  take  a  few  steps  forward  without  its  coming 
to  a  full  halt.  Then  he  should  demand  tw^o  or 
more  steps  to  the  rear,  and  require  a  few  steps 
forward  before  the  horse  is  allowed  to  get  heavy 
or  come  to  a  halt.     These  steps  to  the  rear  may 


1 1 4  Ctirb,  Snaffle,  and  Spttr, 

be  practised  until  the  horse  will  go  any  number 
of  steps  backwards,  lightly  and  smoothly ;  but  a 
forward  movement  must  always  be  demanded 
before  the  horse  rests.  A  tap  of  the  whip  on 
either  flank  while  the  horse  is  backino^  will  make 
a  change  of  direction  opposite  to  the  side  upon 
which  the  whip-tap  is  delivered.  To  make  the 
horse  turn  to  the  left  in  backing,  the  trainer  may 
stand  on  the  off-side  of  the  horse  and  take  the 
reins  in  his  right  hand,  the  whip  in  his  left,  or  he 
may  reach  over  the  back  of  the  horse  and  apply 
the  whip  to  the  off-side  of  the  animal.  These 
lessons  in  backing  should  be  given  from  time 
to  time,  with  sufficient  frequency  to  insure  that 
the  horse  does  not  forget  that  which  has  been 
demanded. 

After  the  horse  has  been  confirmed  in  obe- 
dience to  the  effects  of  the  curb-bit  by  the 
various  lessons  up  to  the  gallop  changes,  the 
trainer  should  teach  it  to  back  when  he  is  mounted. 
He  will  bring  the  horse  in  hand  in  place,  and 
give  an  increased  pressure  of  his  legs  against  the 
animal's  flanks.  The  moment  an  impulse  is 
secured,  he  will  carry  back  the  forces  of  the  fore- 
hand, and  decrease  the  pressure  of  his  heels,  so 


Backing, 


ii5 


that  the  horse  will  step  to  the  rear  with  the  leg 
which  is  flexed  ;  and  the  step  having  been  taken 
to  the  rear,  he  will  close  his  legs  against  the 
flanks,  and  decrease   the  tension    upon   the  reins 


BACKING. 


so  that  the  horse  will  move  forward.  By  degrees 
the  horse  will  be  made  to  go  any  distance  to  the 
rear,  the  rider  taking  care  that  the  horse  is  per- 
fectly straight,  and  that  it  does  not  lose  its  light- 
ness.    In  backing,  the  rider  must  never  let  the 


1 1 6  Curb,  Snajfle,  and  Spur. 

horse  get  from  under  the  control  of  his  heels, 
which  should  be  held  close  to  the  side,  to  regulate 
the  speed,  and  to  enable  him  to  demand  the  for- 
ward movement  at  any  step.  To  change  direc- 
tion in  backing,  there  will  be  an  increased 
pressure  of  the  rider's  heel  on  the  side  opposite 
to  the  change,  and  a  slightly  increased  tension  of 
the  rein  of  the  same  side  ;  that  is,  in  changing 
direction  in  backing  to  the  left,  the  right  heel  of 
the  rider  and  the  right  rein  will  give  the  increased 
effects. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

JUMPING. 

A  LL  horses  intended  for  saddle  uses  should 
^^-  be  taught  to  jump  willingly  and  confi- 
dently. The  usual  practice  of  chasing  a  mounted 
horse  over  a  long  bar  by  the  threatening  motions 
of  a  lashed  whip  held  by  an  assistant  cannot 
accomplish  that  which  a  horseman  should  desire, 
A  horse  "  trained  "  in  such  a  manner  is  not  only 
very  apt  to  become  a  "  refuser,"  but  it  is  so 
hurried  and  excited  that  it  is  impossible  that  it 
should  jump  with  precision  and  safety.  I  teach 
my  horses  to  jump  over  an  obstacle  so  narrow 
that  the  temptation  to  avoid  it  by  going  off  to 
one  side  or  the  other  is  offered,  and  when  it  once 
is  disciplined  to  go  directly  for  the  obstacle,  the 
idea  of  refusing  a  possible  jump,  or  of  running 
out,  does  not  present  itself  to  the  animal's  mind. 
One  of  the  gates  I  use  with  trained  horses  is  but 
fourteen  inches  wide,  and  this  is  taken,  without 
an  effort  to  avoid  it,  by  a  horse  which  was  the 
most  difificult  to  discipline  of  any  of  the  animals 


ii8  Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Sp 


2ir. 


I  have  handled  for  the  past  five  years.  The 
horse  I  employed  to  illustrate  my  method  for  this 
chapter  was  a  young  mare  that  had  never  been 
asked  to  face  an  obstacle  until  it  came  into  my 
hands,  and  I  was  still  riding  it  in  the  breaker's 
saddle,  as  a  precaution  against  plunging,  for 
which  I  suspected  it  had  a  predilection  ;  yet  in  the 
second  lesson  I  rode  it  over  a  hurdle  less  than 
four  feet  wide,  and  it  made  no  attempt  to  avoid 
the  jump.-^ 

I  do  not  call  upon  a  young  horse  to  take  leaps 
higher  than  three  feet,  as  the  animal  must  not  be 
discourasfed ;  but  as  it  becomes  stronsrer  and 
more  confident  in  its  powers,  the  trainer  may 
raise  the  obstacle  to  any  reasonable  height,  with  a 
certainty  that  the  horse  will  make  the  attempt, 
and  that  it  will  have  possession  of  its  wits  in 
avoiding  a  mistake.  One  of  my  horses  (Alidor) 
became  so  clever  in  jumping  that  I  frequently 
rode  it  over  "doubles  "  without  reins,  and  it  never 
made  a  mistake,  either  in  or  out  of  the  school. 

1  This  mare  was  put  to  jumping  much  too  soon,  as  it  had  no 
mouth,  and  but  little  discipline ;  but  I  had  no  horse  that  was  just 
entering  the  lessons  in  the  double  bridle,  so  I  had  either  to  take  an 
old  schooled  horse,  or  one  of  the  green  fillies  I  had  selected  for 
illustrating  the  earlv  lessons. 


yumping. 


119 


During  the  lessons  upon  the  longe,  the  horse 
should  be  exercised  near  the  gates  and  hurdles  so 
that  it  may  become  accustomed  to  them.  When 
the    horse  is   ready  for   its    lessons    in    jumping, 


LEADING    OVER    THE    BAR. 


which  may  safely  be  begun  at  the  end  of  the 
work  in  the  snaffle-bridle,  the  trainer  should  lead 
it  over  a  bar  that  is  not  more  than  a  foot  in 
height ;  and  after  the  horse  will  follow  over  it 
quietly,  the  animal  should  be  made  to  pass  the 


120  Curb,  Snaffle^  and  Spur. 

obstacle  in  the  longeing  circles,  or  at  the  length  of 
the  reins,  while  the  trainer  stands  at  one  end  of 
the  bar.  Gradually  the  bar  should  be  raised  until 
the  horse  must  give  a  smart  jump  to  pass  it. 
From  time  to  time  the  animal  should  be  encour- 
aged and  rewarded,  and  should  it  attempt  to  avoid 
the  bar  it  should  be  at  once  led  back,  and  be  made 
to  understand  that  there  is  but  one  way  of  proceed- 
ing, and  that  directly  over  the  obstacle.  It  must 
not  be  punished,  but  a  light  tap  of  the  whip  may 
be  given  to  stimulate  the  impulses,  and  the  jumps 
should  be  cleanly  and  quietly  made.  Colored 
rugs,  bushes,  and  other  objects  which  would 
usually  frighten  a  horse  if  it  were  made  to  face 
them  without  some  preparation,  should  be  placed 
against  the  bar  until  the  horse  will  jump  any- 
thing the  trainer's  mind  can  devise  (I  used  to 
longe  Alidor  over  a  pony),  the  man  being  careful 
not  to  require  too  much  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
horse,  artd  not  to  fatigue  or  dishearten  it. 

The  horse  should  now  be  ridden  over  the 
obstacles,  first  as  in  the  lessons  in  hand,  being- 
walked  over  the  low  bar,  and  then  being  trot- 
ted up  to  the  bar  raised  to  a  height  of  twenty- 
four  to  thirty  inches,  so  that  it  must  give  a  true 


yumping. 


121 


jump  to  get  over.  The  snaffle-bit  only  should  be 
used  in  these  early  lessons,  and  the  tension  upon 
the  reins  only  sufficient  to  guide  the  horse  to  the 
obstacle.     The    man   should    make    no    effort  to 


JUMPING    IN    HAND. 

raise  the  horse,  or  to  indicate  where  it  is  to  take 
off  for  the  jump ;  and  in  landing,  the  animal 
should  receive  a  very  slight  support  from  the 
hand.  Any  rough  treatment,  particularly  any 
severe  use   of  the   bit,   will   be   disastrous.     The 


122  Ctirb,  Snaffle^  and  Spur. 

horse  should  look  upon  the  leaping  lessons  with 
pleasure,  and  it  should  be  rewarded  for  every 
well-made  jump. 

When  the  horse  jumps  fairly  well  from  the  trot, 
it  should  be  brought  to  the  obstacle  in  the  walk ; 
then  it  should  be  taught  to  jump  perfectly  from 
the  halt.  The  horse  should  not  be  ridden  over 
obstacles  in  the  gallop  until  it  has  been  taught  to 
gallop  well  in   the  double-reined  bridle. 

As  the  horse  approaches  the  obstacle  in  the 
walk,  the  trot,  or  the  gallop,  it  should  be  gently 
united,  so  that  it  may  exert  all  that  are  necessary 
of  its  powers ;  and  upon  alighting,  it  should  again 
be  collected  to  proceed  in  exactly  the  same  pace 
and  speed  with  which  it  approached  the  obstacle. 
The  higher  the  obstacle  the  slower  should  be 
the  pace,  the  more  closely  united  should  be  the 
forces,  and  the  more  vigorous  should  be  the  ac- 
tion. In  a  broad  jump  the  speed  should  be  rapid 
enough  to  give  momentum,  but  it  should  not  be 
so  fast  that  the  horse  cannot  collect  itself  for  the 
exertion.  The  most  difficult  thing  in  jumping  is 
to  determine  exactly  how  much  assistance  the 
hand  should  afford  as  the  horse  alio-hts ;  the  ten- 
sion  upon  the  reins  should  never  be  so  great  as  to 


Jumping, 


123 


impede  the  horse  in  its  efforts  to  land  safely,  and 
yet  if  the  horse  seeks  some  support  it  must  find 
it.  Should  the  horse  ever  refuse  a  leap,  or  get 
into  the  habit  of  jumping  carelessly,  it  should  be 


THE    FIRST    LEAP    OF    A    YOUNG    HORSE, 

put  back  to  the  early  lessons.  But  it  will  be  the 
fault  of  the  rider  if  a  horse  once  properly  trained 
ever  becomes  disorderly  in  leaping. 

Only  riders  with  the  firmest  of  seats  and  the 
liofhtest    of    hands    should    use    the    curb-bit    in 


124  Curb,  Sjiajfle,  and  Spur. 

jumping.  In  case  of  a  fall  in  jumping  the  rider 
should  keep  his  hold  upon  the  reins,  at  least  until 
he  is  assured  that  he  is  free  of  the  stirrups.  It  is 
better  to  run  the  risk  of  being  stepped  upon  by 
the  horse  than  to  be  dragged  by  the  stirrup,  and 
the  rider  should  never  part  from  his  horse  if  it 
can  be  avoided. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

VICES,    TRICKS,    AND    FAULTS. 

I  HAVE  been  training  horses  for  many  years, 
and  I  have  failed  to  observe  in  them  any 
traits  of  character  which  might  be  designated 
as  noble,  or  which  showed  anything  above  a 
very  low  order  of  intelligence.  The  horse  is 
so  nervous  and  apprehensive  that  it  never  com- 
pletely gives  its  confidence  to  man,  and  it 
exhibits  more  of  the  reasoning  powers  in  its 
defences  and  resistances  than  in  the  direction  of 
obedience.  Fortunately  the  horse  is  a  creature 
of  one  idea,  and  until  we  can  obtain  control 
over  it  by  discipline,  it  is  possible  to  thwart  its 
malevolent  intentions  by  a  counter-attack.  I 
am  far  from  saying  that  all  horses  are  naturally 
vicious ;  but  I  do  say  that  the  horse  does  not 
voluntarily  obey  the  demands  of  its  master,  and 
that  he  who  depends  upon  its  willing  obedience 
is  in  a  precarious  position,  unless  it  be  from 
a   heartless    drudge   that  has   lost  all   visions   of 


126  Curb,  Snaffle^  and  Spier. 

freedom.  Restraint  and  control  must  be  irk- 
some to  all  animals,  and  it  is  natural  that  the 
high-spirited  horse  should  attempt  to  escape 
restraint  and  control.  It  is  in  the  injudicious 
endeavors  to  combat  these  efforts  of  the  horse 
to  avoid  the  tyranny  of  man  that  the  vices, 
tricks,  and  faults  of  the  animal  have  their 
origin.  If  in  its  early  mutiny  the  horse  is 
foiled,  it  will  soon  forbear ;  but  one  success 
will  be  remembered  through  scores  of  defeats. 
When  discipline  has  become  a  second  nature 
to  the  horse,  the  man  can  depend  upon  its 
obedience,  until  by  accident  or  carelessness 
the  animal  is  shown  by  what  a  slender  chain 
it  has  been  enslaved.  It  is  far  more  difficult 
to  restore  discipline  with  these  spoiled  horses 
than  to  establish  it  from  the  first  in  the 
unbroken  colt ;    but  it   is   not  impossible. 

It  is  when  it  is  in  that  state  of  nervous 
irritability  known  as  "freshness,"  from  want 
of  work,  that  most  of  the  disorderly  conduct 
of  the  horse  has  its  beginning.  A  horse  that 
is  "fresh"  should  be  treated  with  great  care; 
and  if  it  gives  a  few  plunges  when  first  mounted, 
or  is   shy    of    objects    with    which    it    should    be 


Vices,   Tricks,  and  Faults.  127 

perfectly  familiar,  the  rider  should  not  punish 
it,  but  should  rather  take  little  notice  of  its 
misconduct,  and  push  it  forward  in  a  brisk 
trot  until  it  becomes  more  composed.  He  may 
turn  its  head  away  from  that  about  which  it 
shows  fear,  and  in  this  manner  he  can  make 
it  pass  anything.  A  shy  horse  should  never 
be  made  to  face  the  object  that  affrights  it, 
until  it  has  lost  its  fear. 

Should  the  animal  begin  to  misconduct  itself 
while  the  man  is  mounting,  he  should  have 
it  led  forward  and  vault  into  the  saddle  while 
the  horse  is  in  motion,  or  have  a  leg  up  from 
the  attendant  who  leads  it.  When  the  horse 
is  calmed  by  exercise,  he  should  bring  it  to  a 
halt,  and  mount  and  dismount  until  he  assures 
himself  that  the  horse  will  stand  quietly  for 
such  purposes.  Should  the  horse  have  the 
habit  of  being  restless  w4iile  being  mounted, 
the  man  should  make  it  extend  itself  by 
placing  the  fore  feet  far  in  advance  of  their 
normal  position  when  the  animal  is  at  rest,  and 
by  then  handling  the  horse,  pulling  upon 
the  stirrup-leathers,  and  bearing  his  weight 
upon    his    arms    placed    on    the    saddle.     Then, 


128  Ctirh^  Snaffle^  a?id  Spur, 

letting  the  horse  take  its  natural  position,  he 
should  quietly  mount  in  the  usual  way,  and 
walk  the   animal  off. 

Should  the  horse  turn  its  croup  to  one  hand 
or  to  the  other,  and  leave  the  line  of  progress, 
its  head  should  be  pulled  over  to  the  side 
towards  which  the  croup  is  bent ;  this  will 
straighten  the  horse,  and  the  desired  direction 
may  then  be  taken. 

Should  the  horse  stop  and  wheel  to  the 
rear,  the  rider  should  at  once  make  it  com- 
plete the  wheel,  while  its  opposition  is  to 
the  other  hand;  and  when  the  animal  is  straight 
in  the  original  direction,  he  should  push  it 
forward  in  any  pace  that  it  will  take,  gaining 
a  composed  and  regular  pace  when  he  can. 

Should  the  animal  come  to  a  halt,  lower  its 
head,  gather  its  legs  under  the  body,  and  arch 
its  back,  the  rider  should  not  attempt  to  force 
it  to  move,  for  it  will  certainly  bolt,  and  perhaps 
"  buck."  By  quietly  moving  either  the  forehand 
or  the  croup  to  one  side  or  to  the  other,  he 
can  induce  the  horse  to  let  down  the  back 
and  raise  the  head,  when  he  will  be  able  to 
move  the  horse  slowly  forward. 


Vices,    Tricks,  and  Faults.  129 

Should  the  horse  stand  stiffly,  with  its  legs 
apart  and  its  head  extended  upwards,  and  refuse 
to  move,  the  rider  should  not  attempt  to  force 
it  forward.  By  waiting  until  he  can  bend  the 
head  to  the  right  or  to  the  left,  he  can  reduce 
the  rigidity  of  the  animal,  and  then  be  able 
to  move   it   forward. 

As  I  have  said,  a  shy  horse  should  have 
its  head  turned  away  from  the  object  which 
frightens  it,  and  be  made  to  pass  along  in 
a  movement  resembling  that  upon  two  paths. 
The  nearer  it  is  brought  to  the  object  which 
causes  its  terror  the  better ;  for  if  it  be  once 
brought  quite  close  to  that  which  has  seemed 
dangerous,  it  will  be  taught  that  its  fears  were 
groundless. 

A  horse  which  rears  viciously  can  be  cured 
by  a  course  of  suppling.  I  have  had  for  four 
years  a  horse  whose  defence  took  this  form, 
and  it  had  several  times  thrown  itself  back- 
wards with  its  former  owner;  but,  although  I 
have  ridden  it  in  the  high-school  movements, 
in  jumping  and  in  le  jeu  de  ba7^re,  it  has  never 
offered,  since  it  was  put  through  a  course  of 
suppling,  to  rise  higher  than  I  have  demanded. 


130  Curb,  Snaffle,  and  Spur. 

When  a  horse  rears,  the  rider  should  close 
his  heels  against  its  sides,  and,  as  the  forehand 
comes  down,  take  a  bearing  upon  the  snaffle- 
reins,  then  push  the  animal  forward,  not  vio- 
lently,—  for  that  would  induce  plunging, — but 
firmly  and  quietly.  If,  when  the  horse  rears, 
the  rider  feels  from  the  sinking  of  the  croup 
that  the  animal  is  about  to  fall  over,  he  should 
take  his  feet  out  of  the  stirrups,  grasp  the 
mane,  and  throw  himself  away  from  the  horse. 
A  rearing  horse  always  gets  behind  the  hand 
before  it  rises,  and  this  fact  indicates  a  pre- 
vention. But  if  the  jaw  is  so  suppled  that 
it  yields  to  every  touch  of  the  bit,  the  animal 
cannot  rear;  for  the  head  would  drop  and 
the  mouth  would  open  at  a  light  tension  upon 
the  reins. 

If  a  "  bolter "  has  intelligence  enough  to 
receive  discipline,  the  vice  may  be  cured  by 
teachinor  the  animal  to  come  to  a  halt  at  the 
application  of  the  spurs.  Alidor  bolted  in  his 
early  lessons ;  but  after  he  had  been  schooled 
he  never  attempted  to  escape  control.  If  a 
horse  bolts  through  nervousness,  there  is  no 
cure  of  which  I  have  any  knowledge,  and  I 
know  of  no  bit  which  will  check  the  animal. 


Vices,    Tricks,  and  Faults.  131 

It  is  difficult  to  break  a  plunging  horse  of 
its  vice,  because  it  is  hard  to  get  control  over 
the  animal  while  it  is  plunging.  When  a  horse 
plunges  it  should  have  its  head  held  up,  and  it 
should  be  pushed  forward  until  it  takes  some 
regular  pace.  If  it  plunges  from  high  spirits 
only,  it  will  probably  drop  the  trick  when  it 
has  been  carefully  ridden  ;  but  if  plunging  be- 
come an  established  vice,  it  cannot  be  guarded 
against.  As  an  experiment,  I  took  a  horse 
with  this  vice  confirmed,  and  taught  it  to 
plunge  as  a  movement,  thinking  that  the  animal 
would  not  voluntarily  perform  that  which  had 
become  a  labor.  I  was  mistaken;  the  horse 
continued  to  plunge  w^hen  it  was  fresh,  and  I 
could  never  depend  upon  its  steadiness.  This 
horse  had  the  "  buck's  eye,"  of  which  I  have 
spoken,  and  was  usually  very  foolish. 

When  a  horse  refuses  to  leave  its  company, 
or  to  go  in  a  certain  direction,  or  is  otherw^ise 
restive,  it  should  be  turned  about  several  times 
by  drawing  the  rein  which  finds  the  least 
resistance,  and  by  pressing  in  the  heel  of  the 
same  side.  This  "  rolling-up"  of  the  animal 
confuses  it,  and  makes  it  forget  its  intention, 
and    the    rider    may    then    direct    it    where    he 


132  Curb,  Snaffle^  and  Spur. 

pleases.  It  is  the  custom  in  most  European 
cavalry  regiments  for  every  man,  in  troop  or 
in  squadron  drill,  to  ride  his  horse  out  singly 
from  the  ranks,  and  to  return  slowly  to  his 
place.  In  many  cases  this  could  not  be  accom- 
plished without  this  "  rolling-up,"  as  the  horses 
are  usually  loath  to  leave  their  companions. 
I  know  some  regiments  where  this  movement 
is  not  employed,  and  in  which  there  are  not 
ten  horses  in  a  hundred  which  will  singly 
leave  the  barrack-yard,  even  with  the  riding- 
master's  whip  behind  them. 

If  the  horse  tries  to  rub  the  leg  of  the  rider 
against  a  wall  or  other  obstacle,  the  head  of 
the  animal  should  be  pulled  into  the  obstacle, 
when  the  design  of  the  animal  \\A\\  be  frustrated. 

I  have  no  advice  to  give  to  the  rider  who 
finds  his  horse  "  running  away,"  beyond  that 
of  sticking  to  the  animal,  and  of  taking  inter- 
mittent pulls  upon  its  mouth  until  he  finds 
the  pace  decreasing,  when  he  may  be  able  to 
bring  it  to  halt,  or  to  a  desired  rate  of  speed. 

THE     END. 


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